Airbus in Spain

Expertise found at the three Airbus sites in Spain – where the horizontal tail planes are built – helps make the company an industry leader in the development and use of weight-saving composite materials.

Innovative manufacturing technologies for the use of fibre placement, automatic tape laying and resin transfer moulding are found in these sites.

The largest site is Getafe, 20 kilometres from Madrid, where over 2,000 people are employed on a range of activities, including the assembly and equipping of the horizontal tail plane for Airbus aircraft and the design, development and manufacture of composite materials.

The A380 has led to a significant increase in Spain’s share of work on Airbus aircraft. The 555-seat double-decker’s huge horizontal tail plane is designed at Getafe’s engineering facilities. This section is also initially assembled here. Getafe is also responsible for the A380’s horizontal tail plane’s lateral boxes, the main landing gear doors, the dorsal fin, part of the rear fuselage where the horizontal and vertical tail planes are joined; and the fuselage tail cone. Getafe specialises in the testing, systems testing and final assembly of horizontal tail planes of the A300/A310 Family, the A320 Family and the A330/A340 Family but shares responsibility for the A380 horizontal tail plane with Puerto Real.

The plant at Puerto Real specialises in structural assemblies of lifting surfaces in carbon fibre and metallic materials, as well as in passenger doors, main landing gear doors and fuselage panels, delivering elements for all Airbus aircraft including the A380. Some 500 people are employed at this site in Cadiz. Puerto Real is also responsible, with Getafe, for the A380 horizontal tail plane’s final assembly and testing, fuel testing, assembly of the rudder, elevators, belly fairing and the delivery by sea of the complete horizontal tail plane and belly faring to France for final assembly.

Around 500 people work at the site of Illescas, 30 kms from Madrid, which specialises in automated production processes for advanced composite materials and in the manufacturing of big lifting surfaces. The site is equipped with the most advanced systems and process for the design, manufacturing, inspection and repair of all types of composite material structures. Fibre placement allows the manufacture of heavily curved panels for the fuselage.

Parts for the A380 horizontal tail plane are manufactured at Illescas before being initially assembled at Getafe.






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