Boeing and Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. (TAI) yesterday signed a new agreement for the production of 737 MAX aircraft stabilators with a ceremony held at TAI's facilities in Kahramankazan.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Undersecretary for Defense Industries Ismail Demir said Turkey and Boeing's collaborations go back many years.
The agreement boosts TAI-produced Boeing commercial aircraft products while supporting the increase in the production of 737 MAX, Boeing's most popular jet in the world.
The agreement, which supports the performance and cost competitiveness of the 737 program, further strengthens the close industrial partnership of the two companies.
The stabilator mounted on the plane's horizontal stabilizer controls the descent and rise of the plane.
Stressing that the production of aerospace structural parts is a perfected work for the TAI, Demir stated that these capabilities should move toward a place where more sophisticated composites are produced with high technology, like the F35 middle body.
"After that, it is necessary to take the production of structural parts as an accomplished target and maintain the win-win situation by moving forward without any rivals. Now aspiring to wings and even the aircraft, and taking part in the aircraft to be produced by Boeing as a designer and becoming a partner can be taken into consideration," he said. "Now, there is also the topic of TAI's international structuring.
We expect the TAI to have one foot in the U.S. and in Europe, and to continue to be a global player in aviation, both in terms of technology and engineering, through these companies."
Demir also said besides being a subcontractor in the production of structural parts and in various components with Boeing, they are also evaluating engineering and design, technology production, various research and development (R&D) activities, and the creation of a large supply chain in Turkey outside the TAI.
Demir said that they hoped these goals would be realized quickly, which would, in turn, pave the way for new collaborations. "As long as Boeing has confidence in Turkey, I can say they will be amazed at the positive results themselves," he added.
COOPERATION WITH BOEING TO GAIN MOMENTUMTAI General Manager Temel Kotil said they have been working with Boeing for a long time and that they are a globally competitive and an important partner in international aviation projects.
Kotil expressed that they hope the close cooperation with Boeing will gain new impetus with the said agreement, recalling that they have provided hundreds of thousands of parts and components for Boeing platforms in the last 20 years. Kotil noted that they established a new production area of 7,000 square meters for aircraft components in order to produce all kinds of components, including wings.
TURKEY A STRATEGIC PARTNER FOR BOEING
Boeing International Chair Marc Allen, on the other hand, said Turkey is a strategic partner for Boeing and that they aim to take this partnership to the next level.
Informing that they have projects with their Turkish stakeholders on how to improve their technology and innovation, Allen said they are trying to contribute to the long-term growth of the aviation sector in line with Turkey's 2023 vision. Allen pointed out that the global aviation industry grows by 6-7 percent each year, which is above global economic growth, and stressed that Boeing's commitment to the TAI and Turkey will continue with the win-win principle.
"We are very pleased wit
h our collaboration with the TAI. Thirteen of our 14,000 suppliers received awards last year, including the TAI," Allen said.
Since 2013, the TAI has been serving as Boeing's direct supplier in the production of this component in other aircraft models.
ISTANBUL / DAILY SABAH
