'Make in India' boost: Airbus ropes in Indian co to make all doors of 220 planes

Airbus on Thursday announced that it has awarded a contract to Dynamatic Technologies, an Indian company, to produce all doors for its next-generation narrow body A220 planes, marking a significant boost to the ‘Make in India’ initiative. Although the financial specifics were not disclosed, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia highlighted this as one of the largest export contracts for an Indian aerospace manufacturer, underlining India’s emerging status as a hub for aircraft component manufacturing. With a goal of increasing procurement of components and services from India to USD 1.5 billion in the coming years, Airbus stated that the contract will facilitate the expansion of the A220 program by adding to existing manufacturing capabilities. Dynamatic will be responsible for manufacturing and assembling cargo, passenger, and service doors, as well as over-wing emergency exit doors for the A220 family aircraft, equating to eight doors per aircraft. This agreement also encompasses the production of detailed parts and components, creating opportunities for other Indian suppliers downstream. Dynamatic already manufactures the Flap Track Beam for the Airbus A330 and A320 family of aircraft, along with the cockpit escape hatch door for the A220 planes. At a function in the national capital to announce the award of the contract to the Bengaluru-based Dynamatic, Airbus India & South Asia President & Managing Director Remi Maillard also said that India is not just a market but a strategic resource hub. The company is expanding its industrial footprint with aircraft assembly, component manufacturing, engineering design and development, MRO support, pilot and maintenance training as well as academic collaboration to foster human capital. Maillard said the aircraft maker’s procurement of components and services from India will rise to USD 1.5 billion in the next few years. Currently, it is around USD 750 million. “Today, every Airbus commercial aircraft has components and technologies made in India,” the aircraft maker said in the release. Dynamatic Technologies CEO and Managing Director Udayant Malhoutra said the first door is expected to be delivered in early 2025. The A220 planes are built for the 100-150 seats market, and are suited for regional as well as long-distance routes, according to Airbus. Among other features, these aircraft have a 50 per cent reduced noise footprint and up to 25 per cent lower fuel burn per seat compared to previous-generation aircraft. Scindia said that it is the right time for Airbus to invest in India and highlighted that the contract is an example of the ‘Make In India’ initiative translating huge growth and employment dividends for the nation. According to him, the contract will go a long way in bringing the complete aircraft door-making technology to the Indian aerospace ecosystem. “For the first time, every Airbus commercial aircraft and every Airbus helicopter has critical technologies and systems designed, manufactured and maintained in India,” the minister said in a tweet. Airbus is also building two Final Assembly Lines - for the C295military aircraft and for the H125 helicopters. India is one of the fastest-growing civil aviation markets in the world. Besides, India is a key market for Airbus where domestic carriers, including IndiGo, have placed large orders for its aircraft as they expand their fleet to meet the rising air traffic demand. With inputs from agencies