Saab awards contract to AAI for A321Neo OWD structural assemblies

Aerostructures Assemblies India (AAI), a joint Venture between Aequs Aerospace and Saab AB, has been awarded a contract from Saab Aerostructures to manufacture the structural assembly for the Over Wing Doors (OWD) on the Airbus A321neo programme. The Over Wing Doors are a critical part of the aircraft used for emergency exits. There are 4 Over Wing Door on the A321Neo aircraft. The structural assembly is comprised of machined aluminium parts which will be assembled by the AAI team in Belagavi, Karnataka, India and delivered to the Saab Aerostructures Assembly Line in Link ping, Sweden.
AAI has evolved into a strong supply chain player for producing aerostructures assemblies in India. AAI has been delivering door plugs for Airbus’ A321neo Cabin Flex configuration since 2017 and produced wing panels and D-nose assemblies for the A380 program since 2014. Besides end products, its capabilities also include development of assembly tools, jigs, and fixtures.
With this award, Saab and AAI further cement its strong partnership. Production deliveries will begin at the end of 2019 and ramp up in subsequent years. The AAI facility is located within the Aequs SEZ, the country’s first Notified Precision Engineering Special Economic Zone (SEZ), at Belagavi, Karnataka. Aequs has been recognised by Airbus as a top Detailed Parts Partner (D2P) since 2016. The company has vertically integrated multiple stages of the supply chain – from forging and machining, to assembly and surface treatment – at its SEZ spanning 250+ acres.
Lars Jensen, VP and MD of Saab Aerostructures, added, “It is a great privilege to be able to place this work Package with AAI. It is a result of hard work and joint efforts and we are pleased to both support the growth of the company and Airbus’ position in India with this award.”
Aravind Melligeri, chairman & CEO of Aequs Group, said, “Our journey with Airbus has come a long way and our enduring partnerships are strengthened by the recognition we have received over the years. This contract, in partnership with Saab, represents another critical element in our support of Airbus. It further establishes our competence in delivering aero structure assemblies to global clients while creating value in the supply chain.”
Headquartered in Belagavi, India, Aequs has manufacturing facilities in the US and France as well. It also holds the distinction of being India’s fastest growing precision manufacturing company and among a handful of Indian companies with the capability to deliver to global clientele such as Airbus, Boeing, Collins Aerospace, Safran, Eaton, Honeywell Aerospace, Bombardier, Dassault, to name a few. Aequs continues to consolidate the supply chain and embrace state-of-the-art technologies that would further boost the ecosystem.