Aeronautical multi-specialist EADS SOGERMA today signed a contract with AIRBUS for forward fuselage Section 14A of the AIRBUS A321 aircraft. Under this new contract, the company will perform design, industrialization, manufacturing and supply chain management of the entire work package delivered to Airbus Saint-Nazaire.

Section 14A is one of two additional sections which are specific to the A321 (larger version of A320), and is located just in front of the aircraft wings (between sections #13/14 and #15/21). Its main complexity consists in integrating the emergency passenger exit doors on the sides and in joining up all of the components to make a complete aircraft section.

The section is made up primarily of metal parts, and calls for the use of innovative techniques, such as the robotisation of the drilling of hybrid materials, or the installation of a vertical general assembly station to improve assembly process and posture in the workplace.

This contract, which has immediate effect, will involve the Design Office teams both in Toulouse and Rochefort as well as the Rochefort assembly lines, and will be a significant addition to Sogerma's order books, thus opening up further employment opportunities. As part of its overall recruitment plan to hire around 100 people each year, for this programme EADS SOGERMA intends to recruit 40 people over the next two years, across all aeronautical skill areas, from operators to engineers, and including support staff.

The Rochefort site will be home to the new manufacturing activities as of the first half of 2014, thanks to a 25,000 m2 site dedicated to the manufacture of aerostructures and highly-automated industrial means, developed through constant investment in recent years (€7M for 2012).

EADS SOGERMA won again the trust of its customer, Airbus, with its expertise and industrial excellence, which Airbus already benefits from on the A400M (ramp door and pilot seat), A350 XWB (MLGB and pilot seat), A380 (floor panels and pilot seat), A330 (centre section upper shells) and the A320 family (Section 13/14 upper shells, pilot seats, cockpit furnishings, etc.), and which have been recognised by several awards in recent years: Best Performer in 2010 for series production, and a "Top Ten Award" in 2011 and 2012 for after-sales support.

"We are very proud to have won this contract in a highly-competitive aerostructures market. This strengthens our position as a 1st-tier supplier and our desire to expand further. It also provides us with visibility in terms of scheduling our workload, and allows us to pursue our development and investment policies," stated Stéphane Campion, Director of the Aerostructures Business Line.