Aerospace Industrial Development Corp (AIDC, 漢翔航空工業), the nation’s largest civilian and military aircraft manufacturer, on Friday announced that its new composite materials manufacturing plant has commenced operations and was expected to contribute NT$1 billion (US$31.04 million) in annual revenue.
The Taiwan Advanced Composite Center 19 (TACC-19) is to be used primarily to fill aircraft fairing orders for Airbus A320s.
The 5,500m2 Taichung facility is equipped with three autoclaves to elevate pressure and heat for the production of advanced composite materials, as well as two five-axis computerized numeral control machine tools for milling components.
“The capacity of the original TACC is no longer adequate to satisfy our clients demands,” AIDC chairman Anson Liao (廖榮鑫) said in a ceremony marking the plant’s opening, which coincided with the company’s 20th anniversary.
Much of the plant’s capacity goes into making faring structures that are fitted to the lower fuselage of A320s to cover gaps between parts and improve aerodynamics.
“The aircraft faring contract with Airbus SAS is expected to provide the company with a steady revenue stream, and help contribute to sales growth when ongoing negotiations on supply contracts for other parts bear fruit,” Liao said.
International passenger flight demand is expected to increase about 4.6 percent annually for the next 20 years, creating a demand for about 32,600 new jetliners over the next two decades, Liao said, citing forecasts by Airbus Group SE.
TACC-19, which broke ground in June last year, is the result of a NT$2.4 billion capital expenditure the company allocated last year.
Other investments made by the company last year include a manufacturing center for aircraft engine housings and a hangar for the F-16A/B fighter jet upgrade program for the Republic of China (ROC) Air Force.
AIDC last month held a ceremony after its Arizona-based US subsidiary began operations in March.
The subsidiary is to reduce time zone and geographical barriers and help the company better understand the needs of its US-based clients, the company said.
AIDC shares gained 0.68 percent to NT$44.3 in Taipei trading on Friday.
TARIFFS: The global ‘panic atmosphere remains strong,’ and foreign investors have continued to sell their holdings since the start of the year, the Ministry of Finance said The government yesterday authorized the activation of its NT$500 billion (US$15.15 billion) National Stabilization Fund (NSF) to prop up the local stock market after two days of sharp falls in reaction to US President Donald Trump’s new import tariffs. The Ministry of Finance said in a statement after the market close that the steering committee of the fund had been given the go-ahead to intervene in the market to bolster Taiwanese shares in a time of crisis. The fund has been authorized to use its assets “to carry out market stabilization tasks as appropriate to maintain the stability of Taiwan’s
STEEP DECLINE: Yesterday’s drop was the third-steepest in its history, the steepest being Monday’s drop in the wake of the tariff announcement on Wednesday last week Taiwanese stocks continued their heavy sell-off yesterday, as concerns over US tariffs and unwinding of leveraged bets weighed on the market. The benchmark TAIEX plunged 1,068.19 points, or 5.79 percent, to 17,391.76, notching the biggest drop among Asian peers as it hit a 15-month low. The decline came even after the government on late Tuesday authorized the NT$500 billion (US$15.2 billion) National Stabilization Fund (國安基金) to step in to buoy the market amid investors’ worries over tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump. Yesterday’s decline was the third-steepest in its history, trailing only the declines of 2,065.87 points on Monday and
TARIFF CONCERNS: The chipmaker cited global uncertainty from US tariffs and a weakening economic outlook, but said its Singapore expansion remains on track Vanguard International Semiconductor Corp (世界先進), a foundry service provider specializing in producing power management and display driver chips, yesterday withdrew its full-year revenue projection of moderate growth for this year, as escalating US tariff tensions raised uncertainty and concern about a potential economic recession. The Hsinchu-based chipmaker in February said revenues this year would grow mildly from last year based on improving supply chain inventory levels and market demand. At the time, it also anticipated gradual quarter revenue growth. However, the US’ sweeping tariff policy has upended the industry’s supply chains and weakened economic prospects for the world economy, it said. “Now
Six years ago, LVMH’s billionaire CEO Bernard Arnault and US President Donald Trump cut the blue ribbon on a factory in rural Texas that would make designer handbags for Louis Vuitton, one of the world’s best-known luxury brands. However, since the high-profile opening, the factory has faced a host of problems limiting production, 11 former Louis Vuitton employees said. The site has consistently ranked among the worst-performing for Louis Vuitton globally, “significantly” underperforming other facilities, said three former Louis Vuitton workers and a senior industry source, who cited internal rankings shared with staff. The plant’s problems — which have not
RSS