The UAE's Strata wants a bigger part in aviation

A major component in every commercial jet airliner flying is the ambition of Strata, Badr Al Olama, chief executive of the UAE's leading aerospace manufacturer, said yesterday.

He was speaking as Strata delivered its first major part for fitting to an airliner to fly for the UAE's national airline, Etihad Airways

The first of four fully assembled ailerons manufactured at Strata's Al Ain plant were delivered to Airbus's factory in Bremen, Germany - for fitting to an A330 to be delivered to Etihad Airways in May.

Ailerons are moveable control surfaces on the wing's trailing edge used to turn or adjust the aircraft's altitude.

"This an historic first in UAE history, that a part made by people in the UAE is going onto an airliner flown by a UAE airline," said Mr Al Olama.

"But our ambition does not stop there. One day, when a jet airliner flies over, any jet airliner, I want everyone in our workforce to be able to look up and say, 'I helped build that'."

Strata already supplies other major structural parts for the Airbus A330 and the A380 and is working to win contracts on the A350.

It has also won contracts to supply Boeing with parts for the 777 and 787. Strata also manufactures major parts for Alenia Aermacchi, an Italian company, on its ATR turboprop programme.

Under the A330 ailerons contract, Strata will deliver 30 sets by the end of the year, and be capable of delivering 60 a year by the end of next year - equivalent to half of all the ailerons Airbus requires to fulfil a production rate of 10 A330s a month.

"Aviation is a global business, and it brings together the very best each country has to offer," said Volker Thum, the head of the Airbus plant in Bremen.

"For the development and production of the world's leading aircraft, we require strong and capable partners, like Strata, who can deliver on this global scale. We anticipate that parts manufactured in the UAE will be set features on Airbus aircraft."