Airbus awards another production project at Azura Polska’s new facility in Poland

The new project involves development and production of new aviation seats, which are currently in the research phase, conducted by Airbus Helicopters’ design office in Łódź and the Łódź University of Technology (Politechnika Łódzka). The aim of the project is to develop, design, certify and produce a new generation of seats providing improved crash safety compared to existing seats. According to the plan, the development work on the implementation of the design and tests of the new seats should finish in 2016, and the production could be launched in the Łódź-based facility in 2017. The seats to be produced by Azura Polska could be used on all helicopters manufactured by Airbus Helicopters.

With the opening of Azura Polska in Łódź, Nimrod Group is supporting Airbus Group’s business development strategy for Poland. It was Airbus Helicopters who invited Azura Polska to join its industrial centre in Łódź, which will also include a full assembly line of the Caracal helicopter. The design office of Airbus Helicopters, which was established in February 2015, is also based in Łódź. In return for the contract for the production of Caracal helicopters in Poland, Airbus Helicopters plans to create 1,250 direct and 2,000 indirect jobs, therefore it invites its suppliers to join the strategy of investment in Poland.

The Airbus Group strategy to develop co-operation with Polish companies is not limited to a single contract, but concentrates on an integrated system for the creation of new, innovative products and their production for Airbus Group markets and international clients. Other partners and suppliers of Airbus Group are also ready to place production activities in Poland. Simultaneously, the strategy involves development of co-operation with Polish universities in Warsaw, Łódź, Radom, Gdańsk, and additional ones in future (including Bydgoszcz and Dęblin), which is co-ordinated by the Airbus Helicopters’ design office in Łódź.

“The implementation of the helicopter contract involves the launch of production of parts and components for the Caracal helicopters in Łódź, Dęblin and other cities of Poland. But more importantly, it will result in a broader investment and production engagement of Airbus Group itself or in co-operation with partners, including the development of a system of trusted suppliers in Poland,” said Tomasz Krysiński, Vice-President Research and Innovation at Airbus Helicopters.

“The investment in R&D activities in Poland will grow systematically up to the level of € 200 million per year. As a result of the activities, much more than 3,250 jobs, which have been foreseen as offset, will be created. The jobs will go beyond the employment in the Caracal factory in Łódź, which is only one tenth of the commitment,” Krysiński added.

Airbus Group
Airbus Group is a global leader in aeronautics, space and related services. Comprising Airbus, Airbus Defence and Space and Airbus Helicopters the Group employs around 138,600 people and in 2015 generated revenues of 64.5 billion Euros.

Airbus Helicopters
Airbus Helicopters is a division of Airbus Group. The company provides the most efficient civil and military helicopter solutions to its customers who serve, protect, save lives and safely carry passengers in highly demanding environments. Flying more than 3 million flight hours per year, the company’s in-service fleet includes nearly 12,000 helicopters operated by more than 3,000 customers in 154 countries. Airbus Helicopters employs more than 22,000 people worldwide and in 2015 generated revenues of 6.8 billion Euros. Airbus Helicopters’ ambition is to go from the biggest to the best, becoming the benchmark in the industry for helicopter manufacturing.

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