Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) on Tuesday signed agreements that will see it manufacture the rudder for the A320 airliner of Airbus and become the exclusive producer of metallic components for the European aerospace giant’s A350F cargo aircraft.
The deals were signed on the sidelines of the Paris Air Show, the world's biggest aviation trade fair, and underscore Airbus’ growing cooperation links with its third-largest market in Europe that the company says has been an integral part of its supply chain for more than 20 years.
The first deal will see TAI produce the rudder component for the Airbus A320, one of the most widely used aircraft in commercial aviation, and will make the Turkish company’s facility in Ankara one of the world's key production centers for the critical part.
"We are implementing rudder production for the Airbus A320 family using our local capabilities," the company said on the social media platform X.
Under the second deal, TAI will become the sole source worldwide for the metallic parts of the A350F.
"We are strengthening our collaboration as the world's only company producing metallic parts for the A350F cargo aircraft," it wrote on X.
Türkiye has been collaborating with Airbus on several platforms, including the A220, A330 and A350. It earlier partnered in the world’s largest commercial airliner, A380.
TAI manufactures a broad range of critical components, from flaps and landing gear panels to fuselage structural elements and composite parts.
More than 400 Airbus passenger and freighter aircraft are in service in Türkiye, according to the company, which is registered in the Netherlands but has its main headquarters in France.
And over 250 commercial planes remain in the order book to be delivered to carriers in Türkiye, where Airbus says holds around 60% market share of the aircraft currently in service.
Türkiye and Airbus have also partnered in defense, led by advanced helicopter technologies, and space solutions.
