Spirit joins the Airbus A350 XWB programme,

Spirit joins the Airbus A350 XWB programme, reports Le Figaro Economie. Airbus selected Spirit, the “composites expert”, for manufacturing part of the fuselage (section 15) for its future A350 XWB, reportedly preferring the US supplier over Alenia (Italy) and Stork Fokker (the Netherlands). Until now, this specific section was built in Europe, but Airbus wants to escape from the strong euro, explains Le Figaro Economie. The group should announce its decision to the public soon. The daily comments that the A350 XWB programme is emblematic for Airbus on two levels: First, the group will test its new business model, built on risk-sharing industrial partnerships, with this new project; it will also undertake a major technological leap. Like Boeing with its 787, the A350 will be made of 50%-more composites. The choice of Spirit also prefigures what will be the ambition of the new Power 8 measures to be implemented from 2010. Airbus wants to work more with dollar-based suppliers, and in a more systematic manner than today, explains the newspaper. Le Figaro Economie