Airbus signs deal with Indian firm to manufacture A220 doors

Airbus signed a deal to make doors for all variants of A220 aircraft in India as the South Asian nation seeks to boost domestic manufacturing. Bengaluru-based engineering firm Dynamatic Technologies Ltd. will manufacture and assemble cargo, passenger, service and over-wing emergency-exit doors of the single-aisle aircraft, Thierry Cloutet, Airbus’ procurement head for India, said at a press conference in New Delhi Thursday. No financial details of the partnership were shared. The doors, eight in each A220 plane, will then be delivered to Airbus’ final assembly line in North America, said Cloutet. The deliveries will begin early next year, said Dynamatic CEO Udayant Malhoutra. The deal will help Airbus increase its procurement of aircraft parts and services from India, which it hopes to increase to $1.5b in the next few years from $750m currently, said Remi Maillard, president of the Indian unit. The move is part of PM Narendra Modi’s longstanding “Make in India” push to lure manufacturing to the country in industries ranging from automotive to renewable energy. India’s fast-growing aviation market is expected to lead air traffic growth in South Asia. The planemaker last year signed a contract with Tata Advanced Systems for making cargo and bulk doors of the A320neo aircraft family. Airbus has two final assembly lines in India for the C295 military transport and the H125 helicopter.<br/>