Mubadala Breaks Ground on Airbus Deal
The first two contracts following the November 2008 master-supply agreement between EADS and Mubadala Development Co. have been finalized. They will see Mubadala’s new Strata facility in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, producing composite aileron panels and assembling A330/A340 aileron shipsets beginning in 2011. Strata will become the global sole-source supplier for the aileron components. The 2008 agreement is expected to generate in excess of $1 billion in revenue for Mubadala Aerospace over 10 years, according to Airbus and Mubadala. “[The agreement] has been fundamental to developing several components of our aerospace strategy,” said Homaid Al Shemmari, associate director of Mubadala Aerospace. Mubadala has been tasked by Abu Dhabi’s rulers with establishing the emirate as a global aerospace hub.

Air Arabia Opts for Honeywell APUs
Air Arabia has selected Honeywell Aerospace’s 131-9A auxiliary power unit for its fleet of new Airbus A320s. The Dubai-based low cost carrier signed a deal yesterday valued at up to $36 million and covering all new A320s that it will acquire through 2016. The operator has also chosen to retrofit the 131-9A units to its existing A320 fleet, replacing the APU originally supplied with these aircraft. “By selecting the 131-9A, Air Arabia will reduce on-aircraft maintenance by an estimated 36 percent, a significant reduction in cost of operation,” said Paolo Carmassi (at left in photo), Honeywell Aerospace president for Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India. The new APU will also deliver a 5-percent reduction in fuel burn.

Austrian Firm Shows Off Flight-planning Software
Flugwerkzeuge Aviation Software offers flight-planning software–Flywize–said to yield reductions in fuel burn and, thus, pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions. The Vienna, Austria-based wholly owned subsidiary of Dubai Aerospace Enterprise said Flywize devises more-efficient flight paths, which translate into cost and fuel optimization. “The environment and the reduction of greenhouse gases are becoming increasingly important factors to large carriers,” chief marketing officer Christoph Prinz said. United Airlines, Virgin, Air-India, Malaysian Airlines, British Midlands (bmi), Air India and Turkish Airlines are among the company’s 24 customers. Flugwerkzeuge Aviation Software, exhibiting here on Stand P5, is also known as f:wz.