Goodyear to Supply Tires for Fast Selling Airbus Aircraft
AKRON, Ohio, March 7 -- The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company announced today that it has extended a major multi-year contract for the supply of aviation tires to Airbus for six popular wide-body and single-aisle aircraft models.
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Goodyear will supply Flight Leader aircraft tires for the Airbus wide-body family, the A300 and 310 models, as well as Flight Radial and Flight Leader aircraft tires for the Airbus single-aisle family, the A318, A319, A320 and A321 models.
Airbus, based in Toulouse, France, said the A320 family is the world's fastest selling jet line. Donald Roulett, global marketing manager for Goodyear, said, "This contract is significant, because the A320 family lands more frequently on radial aviation tires than any other segment of the jet transport business.
"We expect to fit Goodyear Flight Radials on a majority of Airbus jets in the A320 family. This supply arrangement with the aircraft manufacturer allows us to broaden Goodyear's presence globally with aircraft-proven radial tires.
"The broad range of Airbus models also positions Goodyear to expand and upgrade its product and service offerings in the replacement market, as well," Roulett said.
Only a handful of tire manufacturers can satisfy the performance demands posed by Airbus and its customers. "Our tires must withstand the stress of repeated takeoffs and landings and the huge loads of large aircraft. Thus, aircraft tires have become a showcase for Goodyear's substantial technological capabilities," he added.
Major airlines - such as Lufthansa, Air Canada, Mexicana, All Nippon Airways, Aeroflot and Jetstar - operate their Airbus A320 family aircraft on Goodyear Flight Radial aviation tires, Roulett said.
Goodyear will supply new tires for Airbus from its manufacturing facilities in Danville, Va., and Bangkok, Thailand. Aviation tires are retreaded at Goodyear service centers in Tilburg, Netherlands; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Stockbridge, Georgia, USA; Kingman, Arizona, USA; Melbourne, Australia; and Bangkok, Thailand.
The tire supply contract is between Airbus France and Goodyear Nederland B.V., a Dutch (Tilburg) company. Goodyear is the world's largest tire company. Headquartered in Akron, Ohio, USA, the company manufactures tires, engineered rubber products and chemicals in more than 80 facilities in 28 countries. It has marketing operations in almost every country around the world. Goodyear employs more than 80,000 people worldwide.
The company produces aviation tires at plants in the United States, Brazil and Thailand.
A leading aircraft manufacturer with the most modern and comprehensive product line, Airbus is a global company with design and manufacturing facilities in France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Spain as well as subsidiaries in the United States, China and Japan. Airbus is a joint venture between European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) and BAE Systems.
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