WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF AIRBUS
Airbus is a leading aircraft manufacturer whose customer focus, commercial know-how, technological leadership and manufacturing efficiency have propelled it to the forefront of the industry.
Airbus’ modern and comprehensive product line comprises highly successful families of aircraft ranging from 107 to 525 seats: the single-aisle A320 Family, the wide-body long-range A330/A340 and the all-new next generation A350 XWB Family, and the ultra long-range, double-decker A380 Family. The company also continues to broaden its scope and product range by applying its expertise to the military market. It is as well extending its portfolio of freighter aircraft that will set new standards in the general and express freight market sectors.
Across all its fly-by-wire aircraft families Airbus’ unique approach ensures that aircraft share the highest possible degree of commonality in airframes, on-board systems, cockpits and handling characteristics, which reduces significantly operating costs for airlines.
Dedicated to helping airlines enhance the profitability of their fleets, Airbus also delivers a wide range of customer services in all areas of support, tailored to the needs of individual operators all over the world.
HISTORY
The A300 became the world’s first twin-engine widebody jet, entering airline service in 1974.
This was followed in the early 1980s by Airbus’ shorter-fuselage A310 derivative, and was joined later that decade by the single-aisle A320 – which developed into one of the most successful aircraft families in history with the A318, A319, A320 and A321.
The 1990s saw Airbus introduce its long range A330/A340 jetliner Family, and a new era of airline travel started in 2007 when the 525-seat A380 began commercial operation.
Looking to the future, deliveries of Airbus’ long-range twin-engine A350 XWB are expected to commence in 2013, while its military product line is expanding to include the A330 Multi-role Tanker Transport and the A400M.
INNOVATIVE RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE AIRCRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE
An innovator in aircraft design, Airbus uses this same pioneering spirit to increase its overall environmental performance and develop new technologies aimed at reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
Airbus is proud of its track record for innovation – including the introduction of fly-by-wire technology into civil airliners, the development of composite aerostructures and the use of advanced materials and aerodynamics – all of which have reduced aircraft weight and fuel burn, and increased fuel efficiency.
To meet its eco-efficiency goals, Airbus continues to invest in continual improvements for its in-service jetliners, and applying cutting-edge technologies to enhance new aircraft – such as the A350 XWB, which is shaping the future of operational efficiency for the air transport industry.
This direction is underscored by Airbus’ leading role in the European Union’s "Clean Sky Joint Technology Initiative (JTI),” a seven-year research programme which aims to develop new environmental-friendly technologies that also reinforce the competiveness of Europe’s aeronautics sector. In cooperation with other major European aerospace companies, Airbus will radically improve air transport’s environmental impact through technologies and solutions enabling step changes in the reduction of fuel consumption, emissions and noise for future aircraft.
The Airbus-led PAMELA (Process for Advanced Management of End-of-Life Aircraft) project seeks the “best practices” for dismantling and recycling retired aircraft – underscoring the company’s life-cycle approach to eco-efficiency. With more than 5,200 aircraft to be retired over the coming 20 years, PAMELA is an important initiative at Airbus. Not only is it being applied to the end-of-life treatment of Airbus aircraft, but is taking dismantling and recycling into account in the design of new products.
Airbus also is contributing to the improvement of air traffic management with its participation in the SESAR (Single European Sky ATM Research) joint undertaking, created to improve control of aircraft flying the skies of Europe and reduce airport congestion – which may decrease the environmental impact per flight by 10 per cent.
Further technologies under evaluation by Airbus include the use of hybrid laminar flow control (HLFC) to reduce aircraft viscous drag, and the Green Advanced Panels (GAP) project – which would replace the chemical milling of aircraft panels with a more environmentally-friendly mechanical process.
Airbus actively seeks new ways to enhance the industry’s eco-efficiency. Its "Fly Your Ideas" competition was created to give students the chance to help shape air transport’s future with innovative ideas – offering a grand prize to the team whose concept represents the greatest short- or long-term potential to improve the industry's value and reduce its environmental impact.
The winner of Airbus’ inaugural “Fly Your Ideas” student challenge was announced at the 2009 Paris Air Show, where the University of Queensland’s “Coz” team was selected for their project which focused on the use of a pioneering natural fibre composite – made from castor plants – in aircraft cabins.
Airbus is proud of its track record for innovation – including the introduction of fly-by-wire technology into civil airliners, the development of composite aerostructures and the use of advanced materials and aerodynamics – all of which have reduced aircraft weight and fuel burn, and increased fuel efficiency.
To meet its eco-efficiency goals, Airbus continues to invest in continual improvements for its in-service jetliners, and applying cutting-edge technologies to enhance new aircraft – such as the A350 XWB, which is shaping the future of operational efficiency for the air transport industry.
This direction is underscored by Airbus’ leading role in the European Union’s "Clean Sky Joint Technology Initiative (JTI),” a seven-year research programme which aims to develop new environmental-friendly technologies that also reinforce the competiveness of Europe’s aeronautics sector. In cooperation with other major European aerospace companies, Airbus will radically improve air transport’s environmental impact through technologies and solutions enabling step changes in the reduction of fuel consumption, emissions and noise for future aircraft.
The Airbus-led PAMELA (Process for Advanced Management of End-of-Life Aircraft) project seeks the “best practices” for dismantling and recycling retired aircraft – underscoring the company’s life-cycle approach to eco-efficiency. With more than 5,200 aircraft to be retired over the coming 20 years, PAMELA is an important initiative at Airbus. Not only is it being applied to the end-of-life treatment of Airbus aircraft, but is taking dismantling and recycling into account in the design of new products.
Airbus also is contributing to the improvement of air traffic management with its participation in the SESAR (Single European Sky ATM Research) joint undertaking, created to improve control of aircraft flying the skies of Europe and reduce airport congestion – which may decrease the environmental impact per flight by 10 per cent.
Further technologies under evaluation by Airbus include the use of hybrid laminar flow control (HLFC) to reduce aircraft viscous drag, and the Green Advanced Panels (GAP) project – which would replace the chemical milling of aircraft panels with a more environmentally-friendly mechanical process.
Airbus actively seeks new ways to enhance the industry’s eco-efficiency. Its "Fly Your Ideas" competition was created to give students the chance to help shape air transport’s future with innovative ideas – offering a grand prize to the team whose concept represents the greatest short- or long-term potential to improve the industry's value and reduce its environmental impact.
The winner of Airbus’ inaugural “Fly Your Ideas” student challenge was announced at the 2009 Paris Air Show, where the University of Queensland’s “Coz” team was selected for their project which focused on the use of a pioneering natural fibre composite – made from castor plants – in aircraft cabins.
Team Wings of Phoenix from China’s Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics claimed first-place honours for the competition’s second edition, which concluded Airbus’ high-profile presence at the 2011 Paris Air Show. The team won for its idea of a ground-based wind power generation system derived from aircraft wakes.
AIRCRAFT FAMILIES
Airbus’ highly successful jetliner product line ranges in size from the 107-seat single-aisle A318 to the double-deck A380 widebody, which is the world’s largest commercial aircraft in service today.
INTRODUCING AIRBUS' MODERN AND COMPREHENSIVE PRODUCT LINE
HOW IS AN AIRCRAFT BUILT?
An Airbus jetliner is the product of highly-efficient cooperation across the company’s global supply and manufacturing chains, as well as its decades of innovation for the air transport sector.
The sections below detail how Airbus’ modern and efficient aircraft are built – covering the design and production of individual components, all the way to flight testing and delivery to customers.
FOLLOW THE MAKING OF AN AIRCRAFT, WITH THE A380 AS A HIGHLIGHT
- Design offices and engineering centres
- Airbus Centres of Excellence
- Transport of major aircraft sections
- Final Assembly and tests
- Test programme and certification
- Delivering to the customer
1- Design Offices and Engineering Centres
A WORLDWIDE NETWORK
In line with its philosophy of global cooperation, Airbus relies on a network of regional facilities for design and engineering activities across the company’s full family of modern aircraft. This high-tech work is divided across design offices and engineering centres located throughout Europe and North America, along with additional sites in India and China.
The design office at Airbus’ headquarters in Toulouse, France gathers such top-level competencies as architecture integration, general design, structural design and computation, integration tests and systems, and propulsion.
LEVERAGING EUROPEAN INDUSTRY
- Design, engineering and support duties for wings, fuel systems and landing gear are performed at Airbus’ facility in Filton, UK.
Five additional Airbus design offices and engineering centres are located throughout Europe, with sites operating in Spain, the UK, Russia and Germany – the latter of which includes two facilities in Hamburg and Bremen.
Airbus’ Filton, UK location focuses on design, engineering and support for Airbus wings, fuel systems and landing gear integration, with additional teams working on systems, structures and aerodynamics projects. In Spain, the company’s Getafe facility handles composites design, development and manufacture, as well as the design and manufacturing of tooling.
The Engineering Centre Airbus Russia (ECAR) is a joint venture facility with the Russian industrial group Kaskol. ECAR design teams support Airbus engineers in Hamburg and Toulouse, focusing primarily on fuselage structure, stress and systems installation, as well as the design of cabin interiors and freight compartments. This centre employs some 200 engineers who have completed over 30 large-scale projects for the A320, the A330/A340 and the A380 programs, and will play a leading role in the single-aisle freighter conversion project and A350 XWB programme.
A NORTH AMERICAN PRESENCE
- The Airbus Americas Engineering facility in Mobile, Alabama was officially opened in February 2007.
Airbus’ first North American design and engineering facility was opened in Wichita, Kansas during 2002. Beginning with an initial staff of 40 people, this location – which is involved in wing design for the A380 and other long-range Airbus aircraft – employed more than 300 highly-skilled engineers as of October 2011, with additional growth anticipated during the following years.
In 2010, the location was expanded with a second engineering centre to focus on wing work for Airbus aircraft, as well as to house a team of in-service repair engineers specializing in critical support for customers around the world.
Southeast of Wichita in the U.S. is the Airbus Americas Engineering facility in Mobile, Alabama, which is responsible for various interior elements of the next-generation widebody A350 XWB jetliner – including design and engineering work for its cabin, crew rest areas, lavatories and galleys.
DELIVERING ON COMMITMENTS
As part of its pledge to support the development of India’s aviation sector, Airbus in 2007 opened its Bangalore engineering centre, which cooperates closely with the company’s other engineering sites around the world, as well as with the country’s growing aerospace industry.
As a 100 per cent Airbus-owned subsidiary, the Airbus Engineering Centre India Pvt. Ltd. (AECI) focuses on the development of advanced capabilities in the areas of modelling and simulation, covering such areas as flight management systems, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), as well as digital simulation and visualization.
The Bangalore facility’s cooperation with other Airbus sites include the development of a simulated A380 flight management system that allows system engineers to provide mature specifications for suppliers of flight management systems, which are key elements in such modern jetliners as Airbus’ 21st century flagship.
2- Airbus Centres of Excellence
CENTRES OF EXCELLENCE
- Airbus’ Puerto Real facility is used for the automated assembly of movable surfaces, final equipment processes and delivery of large structural components to the final assembly line in Toulouse.
Airbus industrial activity is handled in three disciplines: Operations, Programmes and Core Functions. Within Operations, there are four Centres of Excellence (CoEs), each founded on expertise in key production areas: fuselage and cabin, wing and pylon, aft fuselage and empennage, and aerostructures. The CoEs simplify and unify design and production management during aircraft development. The Fuselage and Cabin CoE is responsible for work in areas of Airbus plants at Toulouse in France, along with Hamburg and Bremen, Germany; as well as Saint-Nazaire in France and Buxtehude in Germany. The Wing and Pylon CoE has responsibilities at Filton and Broughton in the UK, Saint-Eloi in the Toulouse region, and a portion of Bremen. The Aft Fuselage and Empennage CoE works with Hamburg and Stade in Germany; Spain’s Getafe, Puerto Real and Illescas plants; while the Aerostructures CoE is based in Nantes.The CoEs fall under the responsibility of Airbus’ head of operations, which is in charge of all industrial processes. This includes ensuring that the best tools, methods and processes are selected and implemented across the CoEs in order to increase efficiency and control costs.The Programmes function is responsible for the work of Airbus’ final assembly lines, including cabin definition and installation, as well as overall management processes. Programmes works closely with the CoEs in order to secure firm commitments on what is delivered to the final assembly lines.The Centres of Excellence also maintain close links with core Airbus functions such as procurement, human resources, engineering, quality and customer services to ensure that Airbus employees share knowledge and ideas.CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE: FUSELAGE AND CABIN
- Airbus’ Hamburg, Germany site is home to the A380 major component assembly hall
Airbus Hamburg comprises assembly lines for the A320 family, the A330/340 family and the A380. It also is part of the Empennage/Aft Fuselage CoE. Among major new A380 facilities built at Hamburg is the hall for assembly of the aircraft’s major component sections. Hamburg works directly with Airbus’ customers in order to ensure their cabin requirements are met. In addition, the site is home to the CoE’s development centre for cabin systems, along with a cabin innovation, design and test centre.Also in Germany, Bremen provides expertise in the design and engineering of cargo loading systems for all Airbus programmes. This involves the mechanical design of the systems themselves, the engineering of the cargo hold and the adaptation of all relevant systems – including practical testing of the mock-up in the cargo test centre.
Bremen manufactures metal components as well for the forward and aft fuselage of Airbus aircraft. The plant will play a key role for A400M production in Germany.Airbus’ third German site, at Buxtehude, develops, produces and integrates electronic cabin communication and management systems for all Airbus aircraft. Its on-board cabin systems include the cabin intercommunication data system, used to control cabin functions; and the passenger service unit for passenger seating.In France, the Toulouse site works closely with Hamburg to satisfy customer needs for the cabin. In addition, it comprises key central functions such as engineering and procurement, as well as the design, manufacture and repair of nose and centre fuselage components. Toulouse shares responsibility with Hamburg for the definition, electrical pre-design, installation design and installation of electrical harnesses, avionics racks, power centres, and cockpit panels.Saint-Nazaire specialises in structural assembly, painting, equipping and testing for nose, forward and central fuselage sections. It receives sub-assemblies to be fitted for A320 Family aircraft’s forward fuselage and the forward and central fuselage for the A330/340 and A380. Saint-Nazaire also assembles the A400M’s nose section.Saint-Nazaire is in charge as well of fuselage painting and protection, as well as the equipping and testing activities for its sections before delivery to Airbus’ final assembly lines.CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE: WING AND PYLON
- Engine pylons for Airbus’ full product line of jetliners are designed and manufactured at the St. Eloi site in Toulouse
Toulouse Saint-Eloi is responsible for delivering equipped and tested engine pylons to the Airbus final assembly lines. Its main activities include the design of pylon and propulsion system integration; and the manufacturing of pylon and nacelle components, including hard metal transformation, pylon sub-assembly and pylon integration. It produces and delivers 21 types of engine pylons, equipping the entire Airbus family of aircraft as well as the A400M military airlifter.Broughton is home to the headquarters of the Wing Centre of Excellence. Located in North Wales, the plant is responsible for sub-assembly and manufacturing of large components and wing final assembly for the entire Airbus family. More than 5,000 people are employed at the site. Activities include wing skin milling, stringer manufacture, full wing equipping and wing box assembly.Filton is assigned design, engineering and support duties for Airbus wings, fuel systems and landing gear integration. Filton has additional responsibility for wing design, assembly and equipping for the A400M military transport aircraft. In October 2010, the Landing Gear Systems Test Facility was opened at Filton, and the following year, it received the initial A350 XWB main and nose landing gear sets for installation on the next-generation jetliner’s system test rig.Bremen specialises in the design, development and manufacture of high-lift systems for the wings of all Airbus programmes. Wings for long-range and widebody aircraft are fitted with essential parts and systems, including all electric and hydraulic components and mobile parts such as slats, landing flap and spoilers. Bremen then supplies fully-equipped wings and landing flaps/high-lift systems to the final assembly lines in Toulouse and Hamburg.CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE: EMPENNAGE AND AFT FUSELAGE
- Airbus’ Centre of Excellence in Stade, Germany is a global leader in the use of carbon fibre reinforced plastic
Hamburg is the largest of the Empennage and Aft Fuselage CoE’s five sites, as well as the home to its headquarters.Stade in Germany specialises in the design, procurement, individual component manufacturing and assembly of Airbus tail planes, and is one of the world leading centres in the use of carbon fibre reinforced plastic. In addition to vertical tail planes, Stade produces other carbon fibre reinforced plastic components for Airbus aircraft, including landing flaps for the A320 family and spoilers for the A330/340 family. Stade has been assigned the manufacture of vertical tail planes and wing skins for the A400M, as well as the A350 XWB’s upper wing cover.Located in southern Spain, Puerto Real – which is the first of three sites in Spain that are part of this CoE – produces horizontal tail plane boxes, elevators, A330/340 doors, landing gear doors and leading edges. It manufactures and assembles structural components for the A380’s rudder system, assembles the aircraft’s belly fairing, and is responsible for the final assembly and final acceptance of the aircraft’s horizontal tail plane. All of these parts then are delivered to the A380 final assembly line in Toulouse. New production techniques such as automatic drilling have been introduced at a manufacturing facility in Puerto Real, which has been supporting the A380 programme. The facility began production of the lateral box for the A350 XWB’s horizontal tail plane in July 2011, as part of combined effort with primary partner company Aernova.Getafe, in central Spain, uses conventional and advanced composites to manufacture fuselage sections for all Airbus aircraft. It specialises in the final assembly, systems testing and testing of all single-aisle and long-range horizontal tail planes, which are primarily made from carbon fibre reinforced plastic. From Getafe, the horizontal tail planes are sent to Airbus final assembly lines in Hamburg or Toulouse. Getafe shares responsibility for the A380 horizontal tail plane, designed and assembled here, with Puerto Real. These are then sent to the CoE’s third Spanish site, Illescas. Getafe is also responsible for the A380’s main landing gear doors.The company’s Illescas site, located near Getafe, specialises in the design and development of horizontal tail planes for all Airbus aircraft. It is also home to the Airbus advanced composites centre, which uses some of the most innovative technologies in the world to manufacture horizontal tail planes and aircraft parts constructed from carbon fibre reinforced plastic. In November 2010, this facility began manufacturing the first carbon fibre barrel for the A350 XWB’s rear fuselage, which followed the production start-up for this next-generation jetliner’s first flyable lower wing cover.
3- Transport of major aircraft sections
- Airbus’ fleet of A300-600ST Super Transporters provide the rapid transport for major sections of its single-aisle and widebody aircraft
Airbus has developed its own transportation system to airlift the large, pre-assembled sections of its jetliners from their production locations to final assembly lines in Toulouse and Hamburg. This service is performed by a fleet of five A300-600ST Super Transporters.These modified A300-600s, nicknamed the ‘Beluga’, have a bulbous main-deck cargo cabin which enables the loading of complete fuselage sections and wings of single-aisle, long-range and future A350 XWB aircraft.FOCUS: A380 MULTIMODE TRANSPORT
The A380’s size means its fuselage and wing sections are shipped via a surface transportation network that includes specially-commissioned roll-on roll-off ships to carry wings and fuselage sections from production sites in France, Germany, Spain and the UK to the French city of Bordeaux. From there, these sections are transported by barge along the Garonne river to the Toulouse final assembly line.As for other Airbus aircraft programmes, production of the A380 takes place in different sites across Europe. Each site produces completely equipped sections, which are transported to final assembly .Most A380 sections are transported to Toulouse by sea, river and road. A number of smaller components, such as the vertical fin produced in Stade or the nose section produced in Meaulte, France, are carried in Airbus’ Beluga fleet.SHIPPING AIRCRAFT SECTIONS
- A specially-designed Airbus river barge carries an A380 fuselage and aft section through Bordeaux, France, on their way to the final assembly line in Toulouse.
5- FINAL ASSEMBLY AND TESTS
A BIT OF HISTORY
- The milestone A300 jetliner was produced at Airbus’ Toulouse, France final assembly line
Airbus’ initial final assembly line (FAL) was established in Toulouse for the A300/A310. In addition to hosting the company’s headquarters, the southern French city was home to a readily available, skilled aerospace workforce. Production flexibility designed into the final assembly line from its inception enabled Airbus to build on the success of the A300 version by using the same assembly jigs and tooling to build the shorter-fuselage, longer-range A310. It enabled slots on the same assembly line to be assigned to either the A300 or A310, depending on market demand.This built-in flexibility became the foundation for Airbus’ approach of developing families of aircraft that incorporate significant commonality and can be built on a common assembly line.BUILDING ON SUCCESS: THE A320 FAL
- A320 Family jetliners are produced at three Airbus final assembly lines: Toulouse, France; Hamburg, Germany and Tianjin, China.
Toulouse also became home to Airbus’ initial assembly line for the A320 Family, which was later supplemented by a second facility in Hamburg to meet high output demand for Airbus’ best-selling aircraft . The two single-aisle lines were joined in 2009 by a third in Tianjin, China – the first Airbus assembly line to be located outside of Europe. The Toulouse FAL builds A320s; Hamburg has responsibility for the A318, A319 and A321, while Tianjin assembles A320s and A321s.A final assembly line is organised by stations, each performing a specific task in the aircraft’s assembly and systems testing. A320 fuselages arrive at the line in two segments, which are joined at station 41, beginning the aircraft build-up sequence. The completed, joined fuselage is lifted into duplicated positions, designated stations 40 and 35, where the two wings are mated and engine pylons and landing gear fitted.A320 Family jetliners then move to a multi-purpose bay for system tests, and the aircraft is readied for cabin installation. This clears the way for the final operations: engine installation, fuel and pressurization tests, painting, engine run-up and flight testing, followed by aircraft acceptance and delivery.ASSEMBLING THE LONG-RANGE A330/A340
A330/A340: Learning from experience. Airbus applied its experience with the A300/A310 and A320 to create a technically advanced, streamlined final assembly line for the A330/A340 long-range family of aircraft, located in a purpose-built facility in Toulouse. Only two final assembly jigs are needed to build up either the twin-engine A330 or the four-engine A340. The A330/A340 FAL also is built around the ‘station’ principal. Station 40 the aircraft's outer wings are joined to the centre fuselage and wing. This activity is highly automated, using eight robots that are situated on either side of the fuselage and above/below the wing. At Station 35, the jetliner’s three fuselage sections are riveted together, along with installation of the horizontal and vertical stabilizers, landing gear with wheels, and engine pylons. This process is assisted by four robots which move around the fuselage on orbital railways. The aircraft are then transferred on their own wheels to a large area called Station 30, where four long-range jetliners can be accommodated simultaneously. This is where systems are connected and tested, with ground mechanics conducting some 85 system validations. The mechanics go from aircraft to aircraft in Station 30, rather than having the aircraft move to different positions. Next, completed A330/A340s are moved outside the final assembly hanger for fuel and pressurization systems testing. The aircraft’s engines are then installed and its cabin are fitted before painting, engine run-up and flight testing, all of which precede aircraft acceptance and delivery,Toulouse is the home as well for Airbus’ A380 FAL – a massive facility that provides 150,000 square metres of assembly area for the flagship double-deck jetliner.
Airbus’ newest final assembly line, for the A350 XWB, is now taking shape in Toulouse. Designed with eco-efficiency in mind, this 74,000-square-metre facility will house the initial stages of final assembly, involving the join-up of fuselage and wings. A streamlined aircraft assembly process for the A350 XWB will allow teams to work in parallel, reducing the time from start of final assembly to aircraft delivery by 30 per cent.
5 - dELIVERING TO THE CUSTOMERAIRCRAFT DELIVERY
- Airbus has modern delivery centres at its final assembly facilities in Toulouse, France; Hamburg, Germany, and Tianjin, China
Before taking delivery of an aircraft and signing the transfer of the title, the customer airline carries out a complete and detailed check. It is represented by a team of experts whose assignment is to check the conformity of the aircraft with the contractual specification. They are assisted in this by the Airbus Delivery team.The delivery phase is spread over four or five days on average, dependant on the aircraft programme. A standard delivery procedure takes place as follows:- 1st day: ground checks : external surfaces, bays and cabin visual inspection, static aircraft system and cockpit checks, engine tests.
- 2nd day: acceptance flight : checks during flight of all aircraft systems (including cabin systems) and aircraft behaviour in the whole flight envelope.
- 3rd day: physical rework or provision of solutions for all technical and quality snags open in delivery.
- 4th day: completion of technical acceptance. Technical closure of the aircraft and all associated documents attesting the aircraft’s compliance to the type certificate and conformity to the technical specification allowing the issuance of the Certificate of Airworthiness.
- 5th day: transfer of the aircraft's title deeds to the customer airline: the aircraft changes owner. Preparation of the aircraft for the ferry flight to its home base.
Each representative appointed by the customer airline has responsibility for a specific number of tasks.A typical team consists of around seven people (from engineering, quality, maintenance, flight operation, etc.) placed under the authority of a delivery team leader who centralises all the issues.Airbus also offers the customer airline a series of presentations about its aircraft throughout the production process, from major component assembly to painting and cabin furnishing, so that it can check that the terms of the contract have been met.
CENTRES OF EXCELLENCE
- Airbus’ Puerto Real facility is used for the automated assembly of movable surfaces, final equipment processes and delivery of large structural components to the final assembly line in Toulouse.
Airbus industrial activity is handled in three disciplines: Operations, Programmes and Core Functions. Within Operations, there are four Centres of Excellence (CoEs), each founded on expertise in key production areas: fuselage and cabin, wing and pylon, aft fuselage and empennage, and aerostructures. The CoEs simplify and unify design and production management during aircraft development.
The Fuselage and Cabin CoE is responsible for work in areas of Airbus plants at Toulouse in France, along with Hamburg and Bremen, Germany; as well as Saint-Nazaire in France and Buxtehude in Germany. The Wing and Pylon CoE has responsibilities at Filton and Broughton in the UK, Saint-Eloi in the Toulouse region, and a portion of Bremen. The Aft Fuselage and Empennage CoE works with Hamburg and Stade in Germany; Spain’s Getafe, Puerto Real and Illescas plants; while the Aerostructures CoE is based in Nantes.
The CoEs fall under the responsibility of Airbus’ head of operations, which is in charge of all industrial processes. This includes ensuring that the best tools, methods and processes are selected and implemented across the CoEs in order to increase efficiency and control costs.
The Programmes function is responsible for the work of Airbus’ final assembly lines, including cabin definition and installation, as well as overall management processes. Programmes works closely with the CoEs in order to secure firm commitments on what is delivered to the final assembly lines.
The Centres of Excellence also maintain close links with core Airbus functions such as procurement, human resources, engineering, quality and customer services to ensure that Airbus employees share knowledge and ideas.
CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE: FUSELAGE AND CABIN
- Airbus’ Hamburg, Germany site is home to the A380 major component assembly hall
Airbus Hamburg comprises assembly lines for the A320 family, the A330/340 family and the A380. It also is part of the Empennage/Aft Fuselage CoE. Among major new A380 facilities built at Hamburg is the hall for assembly of the aircraft’s major component sections. Hamburg works directly with Airbus’ customers in order to ensure their cabin requirements are met. In addition, the site is home to the CoE’s development centre for cabin systems, along with a cabin innovation, design and test centre.
Also in Germany, Bremen provides expertise in the design and engineering of cargo loading systems for all Airbus programmes. This involves the mechanical design of the systems themselves, the engineering of the cargo hold and the adaptation of all relevant systems – including practical testing of the mock-up in the cargo test centre.
Bremen manufactures metal components as well for the forward and aft fuselage of Airbus aircraft. The plant will play a key role for A400M production in Germany.
Bremen manufactures metal components as well for the forward and aft fuselage of Airbus aircraft. The plant will play a key role for A400M production in Germany.
Airbus’ third German site, at Buxtehude, develops, produces and integrates electronic cabin communication and management systems for all Airbus aircraft. Its on-board cabin systems include the cabin intercommunication data system, used to control cabin functions; and the passenger service unit for passenger seating.
In France, the Toulouse site works closely with Hamburg to satisfy customer needs for the cabin. In addition, it comprises key central functions such as engineering and procurement, as well as the design, manufacture and repair of nose and centre fuselage components. Toulouse shares responsibility with Hamburg for the definition, electrical pre-design, installation design and installation of electrical harnesses, avionics racks, power centres, and cockpit panels.
Saint-Nazaire specialises in structural assembly, painting, equipping and testing for nose, forward and central fuselage sections. It receives sub-assemblies to be fitted for A320 Family aircraft’s forward fuselage and the forward and central fuselage for the A330/340 and A380. Saint-Nazaire also assembles the A400M’s nose section.
Saint-Nazaire is in charge as well of fuselage painting and protection, as well as the equipping and testing activities for its sections before delivery to Airbus’ final assembly lines.
CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE: WING AND PYLON
- Engine pylons for Airbus’ full product line of jetliners are designed and manufactured at the St. Eloi site in Toulouse
Toulouse Saint-Eloi is responsible for delivering equipped and tested engine pylons to the Airbus final assembly lines. Its main activities include the design of pylon and propulsion system integration; and the manufacturing of pylon and nacelle components, including hard metal transformation, pylon sub-assembly and pylon integration. It produces and delivers 21 types of engine pylons, equipping the entire Airbus family of aircraft as well as the A400M military airlifter.
Broughton is home to the headquarters of the Wing Centre of Excellence. Located in North Wales, the plant is responsible for sub-assembly and manufacturing of large components and wing final assembly for the entire Airbus family. More than 5,000 people are employed at the site. Activities include wing skin milling, stringer manufacture, full wing equipping and wing box assembly.
Filton is assigned design, engineering and support duties for Airbus wings, fuel systems and landing gear integration. Filton has additional responsibility for wing design, assembly and equipping for the A400M military transport aircraft. In October 2010, the Landing Gear Systems Test Facility was opened at Filton, and the following year, it received the initial A350 XWB main and nose landing gear sets for installation on the next-generation jetliner’s system test rig.
Bremen specialises in the design, development and manufacture of high-lift systems for the wings of all Airbus programmes. Wings for long-range and widebody aircraft are fitted with essential parts and systems, including all electric and hydraulic components and mobile parts such as slats, landing flap and spoilers. Bremen then supplies fully-equipped wings and landing flaps/high-lift systems to the final assembly lines in Toulouse and Hamburg.
CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE: EMPENNAGE AND AFT FUSELAGE
- Airbus’ Centre of Excellence in Stade, Germany is a global leader in the use of carbon fibre reinforced plastic
Hamburg is the largest of the Empennage and Aft Fuselage CoE’s five sites, as well as the home to its headquarters.
Stade in Germany specialises in the design, procurement, individual component manufacturing and assembly of Airbus tail planes, and is one of the world leading centres in the use of carbon fibre reinforced plastic. In addition to vertical tail planes, Stade produces other carbon fibre reinforced plastic components for Airbus aircraft, including landing flaps for the A320 family and spoilers for the A330/340 family. Stade has been assigned the manufacture of vertical tail planes and wing skins for the A400M, as well as the A350 XWB’s upper wing cover.
Located in southern Spain, Puerto Real – which is the first of three sites in Spain that are part of this CoE – produces horizontal tail plane boxes, elevators, A330/340 doors, landing gear doors and leading edges. It manufactures and assembles structural components for the A380’s rudder system, assembles the aircraft’s belly fairing, and is responsible for the final assembly and final acceptance of the aircraft’s horizontal tail plane. All of these parts then are delivered to the A380 final assembly line in Toulouse. New production techniques such as automatic drilling have been introduced at a manufacturing facility in Puerto Real, which has been supporting the A380 programme. The facility began production of the lateral box for the A350 XWB’s horizontal tail plane in July 2011, as part of combined effort with primary partner company Aernova.
Getafe, in central Spain, uses conventional and advanced composites to manufacture fuselage sections for all Airbus aircraft. It specialises in the final assembly, systems testing and testing of all single-aisle and long-range horizontal tail planes, which are primarily made from carbon fibre reinforced plastic. From Getafe, the horizontal tail planes are sent to Airbus final assembly lines in Hamburg or Toulouse. Getafe shares responsibility for the A380 horizontal tail plane, designed and assembled here, with Puerto Real. These are then sent to the CoE’s third Spanish site, Illescas. Getafe is also responsible for the A380’s main landing gear doors.
The company’s Illescas site, located near Getafe, specialises in the design and development of horizontal tail planes for all Airbus aircraft. It is also home to the Airbus advanced composites centre, which uses some of the most innovative technologies in the world to manufacture horizontal tail planes and aircraft parts constructed from carbon fibre reinforced plastic. In November 2010, this facility began manufacturing the first carbon fibre barrel for the A350 XWB’s rear fuselage, which followed the production start-up for this next-generation jetliner’s first flyable lower wing cover.
- Airbus’ fleet of A300-600ST Super Transporters provide the rapid transport for major sections of its single-aisle and widebody aircraft
Airbus has developed its own transportation system to airlift the large, pre-assembled sections of its jetliners from their production locations to final assembly lines in Toulouse and Hamburg. This service is performed by a fleet of five A300-600ST Super Transporters.
These modified A300-600s, nicknamed the ‘Beluga’, have a bulbous main-deck cargo cabin which enables the loading of complete fuselage sections and wings of single-aisle, long-range and future A350 XWB aircraft.
FOCUS: A380 MULTIMODE TRANSPORT
The A380’s size means its fuselage and wing sections are shipped via a surface transportation network that includes specially-commissioned roll-on roll-off ships to carry wings and fuselage sections from production sites in France, Germany, Spain and the UK to the French city of Bordeaux. From there, these sections are transported by barge along the Garonne river to the Toulouse final assembly line.
As for other Airbus aircraft programmes, production of the A380 takes place in different sites across Europe. Each site produces completely equipped sections, which are transported to final assembly .
Most A380 sections are transported to Toulouse by sea, river and road. A number of smaller components, such as the vertical fin produced in Stade or the nose section produced in Meaulte, France, are carried in Airbus’ Beluga fleet.
SHIPPING AIRCRAFT SECTIONS
- A specially-designed Airbus river barge carries an A380 fuselage and aft section through Bordeaux, France, on their way to the final assembly line in Toulouse.
5- FINAL ASSEMBLY AND TESTS
A BIT OF HISTORY
- The milestone A300 jetliner was produced at Airbus’ Toulouse, France final assembly line
Airbus’ initial final assembly line (FAL) was established in Toulouse for the A300/A310. In addition to hosting the company’s headquarters, the southern French city was home to a readily available, skilled aerospace workforce. Production flexibility designed into the final assembly line from its inception enabled Airbus to build on the success of the A300 version by using the same assembly jigs and tooling to build the shorter-fuselage, longer-range A310. It enabled slots on the same assembly line to be assigned to either the A300 or A310, depending on market demand.This built-in flexibility became the foundation for Airbus’ approach of developing families of aircraft that incorporate significant commonality and can be built on a common assembly line.BUILDING ON SUCCESS: THE A320 FAL
- A320 Family jetliners are produced at three Airbus final assembly lines: Toulouse, France; Hamburg, Germany and Tianjin, China.
Toulouse also became home to Airbus’ initial assembly line for the A320 Family, which was later supplemented by a second facility in Hamburg to meet high output demand for Airbus’ best-selling aircraft . The two single-aisle lines were joined in 2009 by a third in Tianjin, China – the first Airbus assembly line to be located outside of Europe. The Toulouse FAL builds A320s; Hamburg has responsibility for the A318, A319 and A321, while Tianjin assembles A320s and A321s.A final assembly line is organised by stations, each performing a specific task in the aircraft’s assembly and systems testing. A320 fuselages arrive at the line in two segments, which are joined at station 41, beginning the aircraft build-up sequence. The completed, joined fuselage is lifted into duplicated positions, designated stations 40 and 35, where the two wings are mated and engine pylons and landing gear fitted.A320 Family jetliners then move to a multi-purpose bay for system tests, and the aircraft is readied for cabin installation. This clears the way for the final operations: engine installation, fuel and pressurization tests, painting, engine run-up and flight testing, followed by aircraft acceptance and delivery.ASSEMBLING THE LONG-RANGE A330/A340
A330/A340: Learning from experience. Airbus applied its experience with the A300/A310 and A320 to create a technically advanced, streamlined final assembly line for the A330/A340 long-range family of aircraft, located in a purpose-built facility in Toulouse. Only two final assembly jigs are needed to build up either the twin-engine A330 or the four-engine A340. The A330/A340 FAL also is built around the ‘station’ principal. Station 40 the aircraft's outer wings are joined to the centre fuselage and wing. This activity is highly automated, using eight robots that are situated on either side of the fuselage and above/below the wing. At Station 35, the jetliner’s three fuselage sections are riveted together, along with installation of the horizontal and vertical stabilizers, landing gear with wheels, and engine pylons. This process is assisted by four robots which move around the fuselage on orbital railways. The aircraft are then transferred on their own wheels to a large area called Station 30, where four long-range jetliners can be accommodated simultaneously. This is where systems are connected and tested, with ground mechanics conducting some 85 system validations. The mechanics go from aircraft to aircraft in Station 30, rather than having the aircraft move to different positions. Next, completed A330/A340s are moved outside the final assembly hanger for fuel and pressurization systems testing. The aircraft’s engines are then installed and its cabin are fitted before painting, engine run-up and flight testing, all of which precede aircraft acceptance and delivery,Toulouse is the home as well for Airbus’ A380 FAL – a massive facility that provides 150,000 square metres of assembly area for the flagship double-deck jetliner.
Airbus’ newest final assembly line, for the A350 XWB, is now taking shape in Toulouse. Designed with eco-efficiency in mind, this 74,000-square-metre facility will house the initial stages of final assembly, involving the join-up of fuselage and wings. A streamlined aircraft assembly process for the A350 XWB will allow teams to work in parallel, reducing the time from start of final assembly to aircraft delivery by 30 per cent.
A BIT OF HISTORY
- The milestone A300 jetliner was produced at Airbus’ Toulouse, France final assembly line
Airbus’ initial final assembly line (FAL) was established in Toulouse for the A300/A310. In addition to hosting the company’s headquarters, the southern French city was home to a readily available, skilled aerospace workforce. Production flexibility designed into the final assembly line from its inception enabled Airbus to build on the success of the A300 version by using the same assembly jigs and tooling to build the shorter-fuselage, longer-range A310. It enabled slots on the same assembly line to be assigned to either the A300 or A310, depending on market demand.
This built-in flexibility became the foundation for Airbus’ approach of developing families of aircraft that incorporate significant commonality and can be built on a common assembly line.
BUILDING ON SUCCESS: THE A320 FAL
- A320 Family jetliners are produced at three Airbus final assembly lines: Toulouse, France; Hamburg, Germany and Tianjin, China.
Toulouse also became home to Airbus’ initial assembly line for the A320 Family, which was later supplemented by a second facility in Hamburg to meet high output demand for Airbus’ best-selling aircraft . The two single-aisle lines were joined in 2009 by a third in Tianjin, China – the first Airbus assembly line to be located outside of Europe. The Toulouse FAL builds A320s; Hamburg has responsibility for the A318, A319 and A321, while Tianjin assembles A320s and A321s.
A final assembly line is organised by stations, each performing a specific task in the aircraft’s assembly and systems testing. A320 fuselages arrive at the line in two segments, which are joined at station 41, beginning the aircraft build-up sequence. The completed, joined fuselage is lifted into duplicated positions, designated stations 40 and 35, where the two wings are mated and engine pylons and landing gear fitted.
A320 Family jetliners then move to a multi-purpose bay for system tests, and the aircraft is readied for cabin installation. This clears the way for the final operations: engine installation, fuel and pressurization tests, painting, engine run-up and flight testing, followed by aircraft acceptance and delivery.
ASSEMBLING THE LONG-RANGE A330/A340
A330/A340: Learning from experience. Airbus applied its experience with the A300/A310 and A320 to create a technically advanced, streamlined final assembly line for the A330/A340 long-range family of aircraft, located in a purpose-built facility in Toulouse. Only two final assembly jigs are needed to build up either the twin-engine A330 or the four-engine A340.
The A330/A340 FAL also is built around the ‘station’ principal. Station 40 the aircraft's outer wings are joined to the centre fuselage and wing. This activity is highly automated, using eight robots that are situated on either side of the fuselage and above/below the wing. At Station 35, the jetliner’s three fuselage sections are riveted together, along with installation of the horizontal and vertical stabilizers, landing gear with wheels, and engine pylons. This process is assisted by four robots which move around the fuselage on orbital railways.
The aircraft are then transferred on their own wheels to a large area called Station 30, where four long-range jetliners can be accommodated simultaneously. This is where systems are connected and tested, with ground mechanics conducting some 85 system validations. The mechanics go from aircraft to aircraft in Station 30, rather than having the aircraft move to different positions.
Next, completed A330/A340s are moved outside the final assembly hanger for fuel and pressurization systems testing. The aircraft’s engines are then installed and its cabin are fitted before painting, engine run-up and flight testing, all of which precede aircraft acceptance and delivery,
Toulouse is the home as well for Airbus’ A380 FAL – a massive facility that provides 150,000 square metres of assembly area for the flagship double-deck jetliner.
Airbus’ newest final assembly line, for the A350 XWB, is now taking shape in Toulouse. Designed with eco-efficiency in mind, this 74,000-square-metre facility will house the initial stages of final assembly, involving the join-up of fuselage and wings.
Airbus’ newest final assembly line, for the A350 XWB, is now taking shape in Toulouse. Designed with eco-efficiency in mind, this 74,000-square-metre facility will house the initial stages of final assembly, involving the join-up of fuselage and wings.
A streamlined aircraft assembly process for the A350 XWB will allow teams to work in parallel, reducing the time from start of final assembly to aircraft delivery by 30 per cent.
5 - dELIVERING TO THE CUSTOMERAIRCRAFT DELIVERY
- Airbus has modern delivery centres at its final assembly facilities in Toulouse, France; Hamburg, Germany, and Tianjin, China
Before taking delivery of an aircraft and signing the transfer of the title, the customer airline carries out a complete and detailed check. It is represented by a team of experts whose assignment is to check the conformity of the aircraft with the contractual specification. They are assisted in this by the Airbus Delivery team.The delivery phase is spread over four or five days on average, dependant on the aircraft programme. A standard delivery procedure takes place as follows:- 1st day: ground checks : external surfaces, bays and cabin visual inspection, static aircraft system and cockpit checks, engine tests.
- 2nd day: acceptance flight : checks during flight of all aircraft systems (including cabin systems) and aircraft behaviour in the whole flight envelope.
- 3rd day: physical rework or provision of solutions for all technical and quality snags open in delivery.
- 4th day: completion of technical acceptance. Technical closure of the aircraft and all associated documents attesting the aircraft’s compliance to the type certificate and conformity to the technical specification allowing the issuance of the Certificate of Airworthiness.
- 5th day: transfer of the aircraft's title deeds to the customer airline: the aircraft changes owner. Preparation of the aircraft for the ferry flight to its home base.
Each representative appointed by the customer airline has responsibility for a specific number of tasks.A typical team consists of around seven people (from engineering, quality, maintenance, flight operation, etc.) placed under the authority of a delivery team leader who centralises all the issues.Airbus also offers the customer airline a series of presentations about its aircraft throughout the production process, from major component assembly to painting and cabin furnishing, so that it can check that the terms of the contract have been met.
AIRCRAFT DELIVERY
- Airbus has modern delivery centres at its final assembly facilities in Toulouse, France; Hamburg, Germany, and Tianjin, China
Before taking delivery of an aircraft and signing the transfer of the title, the customer airline carries out a complete and detailed check. It is represented by a team of experts whose assignment is to check the conformity of the aircraft with the contractual specification. They are assisted in this by the Airbus Delivery team.
The delivery phase is spread over four or five days on average, dependant on the aircraft programme. A standard delivery procedure takes place as follows:
- 1st day: ground checks : external surfaces, bays and cabin visual inspection, static aircraft system and cockpit checks, engine tests.
- 2nd day: acceptance flight : checks during flight of all aircraft systems (including cabin systems) and aircraft behaviour in the whole flight envelope.
- 3rd day: physical rework or provision of solutions for all technical and quality snags open in delivery.
- 4th day: completion of technical acceptance. Technical closure of the aircraft and all associated documents attesting the aircraft’s compliance to the type certificate and conformity to the technical specification allowing the issuance of the Certificate of Airworthiness.
- 5th day: transfer of the aircraft's title deeds to the customer airline: the aircraft changes owner. Preparation of the aircraft for the ferry flight to its home base.
Each representative appointed by the customer airline has responsibility for a specific number of tasks.
A typical team consists of around seven people (from engineering, quality, maintenance, flight operation, etc.) placed under the authority of a delivery team leader who centralises all the issues.
Airbus also offers the customer airline a series of presentations about its aircraft throughout the production process, from major component assembly to painting and cabin furnishing, so that it can check that the terms of the contract have been met.
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