OREANDA-NEWS. Airbus has selected VSMPO-AVISMA for the delivery of new forgings and lateral panels for the A320neo pylon (for aircraft equipped with CFM engines). The agreement is fully in line for both companies to expand their cooperation towards value-added products, including supply of near-net shaped parts. First deliveries will start in 2015.

"The perimeter of our strategic partnership with VSMPO expands with additional A320neo forgings and lateral panels", said Klaus Richter, Executive Vice President Procurement, Airbus and Airbus Group. "VSMPO has demonstrated over the years robustness and reliability, we are happy to partner with them on this new development."

Commenting on the agreement, Mikhail Voevodin, VSMPO-AVISMA Corporation CEO said: "Our development strategy is currently focusing on the development of exports, the increase of added value products in the export structure and the extension of our range of supplied products. The agreement with Airbus - our long lasting partner - for the supply of new titanium products falls right into this strategy and I hope that the range of products supplied by VSMPO-AVISMA to Europe's largest aircraft manufacturer will be further extended.

VSMPO-AVISMA is a key supplier of titanium for Airbus. The companies began to cooperate in the 90's, when the first agreements for supply of raw materials were signed. Over time, the nomenclature of purchased products has evolved to include higher added value products. At the moment VSMPO-AVISMA is supplying titanium forgings for all Airbus commercial programmes, including the A380 and the A350 XWB. Russian titanium is used for the production of the landing gears, wing and pylon structures, - parts which undergo the highest loads in flight.