Belairbus
| Company type | Consortium |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Founded | 1979 |
| Products | Components for commercial aircraft |
| Website | www.belairbus.be |
Belairbus is an aerospace manufacturing consortium based in Belgium. It was created to enable several Belgian enterprises to contribute to the production of Airbus aircraft, complying with Airbus' policy of engaging with only one representative organization per European nation involved in its manufacturing initiatives.[1] As an affiliated partner of Airbus, Belairbus produces components for the Airbus A320 family, the Airbus A340, and the Airbus A380.[1][2]
History
Established in 1979, Belairbus originated as a consortium involving the Belgian government, the Wallonia regional development authority, and companies including SONACA (previously known as Avions Fairey), Fabrique Nationale, and Asco.[3] The purpose of forming this consortium was to participate in the production of the Airbus A310, specifically handling the manufacturing of wing leading edge slats, slat tracks, and Krueger flaps.[3] Airbus designated Belairbus as an "associate," alongside companies like Fokker, since these firms contributed to Airbus aircraft manufacturing without holding shares in Airbus itself.[3][4]
Currently, the consortium's members include Sonaca, Asco Industries, and Eurair, a subsidiary under the Watteeuw Group umbrella.[1] Belairbus delegates production tasks to these three members.[1] Ownership stakes within Belairbus correspond to each member's production contribution: Sonaca holds about 58%, Asco owns roughly 35%, Eurair controls around 7%, and a single share is retained by Belgian aerospace firm SABCA.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Introduction to Belairbus – Belairbus website Archived October 20, 2010, at the Wayback Machine retrieved 2010-03-05
- ↑ Airbus programs – Sonaca Group website Archived January 8, 2007, at the Wayback Machine retrieved 2010-03-05
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Belgium takes stake in A310", Flight International, 12 May 1979, p.1545 (online version) retrieved 2010-03-05
- ↑ Lambert & Ramsden, p.1685
- Lambert, Mark & Ramsden, J. M. "France's aerospace industry", Flight International, 17 November 1979, pp.1675–1703 (online version) retrieved 2010-03-05