GKN Aerospace, COMAC subsidiary Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Company (SAMC), and Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC International) are establishing a joint venture based in China to manufacture advanced aerostructures for the civil aerospace market, with production scheduled to begin in late 2021 in a new state-of-the-art facility in a location yet to be determined.
The joint venture will manufacture products for the Asian aerospace market, a key growth area for the future, officials say, while opening new business opportunities for GKN Aerospace’s aerostructures business and partners. As a result of the joint venture, GKN Aerospace and its partners will offer customers both metallic and composite technologically advanced aerostructures. After the start-up period, the scope of the joint venture will be extended to include design and development capability.