Airbus lauds suppliers for performance excellence

On the occasion of the annual Airbus Suppliers Awards ceremony held during the Farnborough Air Show, Didier Lux, Airbus executive vice president for customer services, presented awards to recognize those Systems & Equipment suppliers who have achieved outstanding levels of customer satisfaction. To determine the shortlist, the rating process included inputs from 117 participating Airbus operators – more than ever before. The announced winners are as follows:

• Airbus Kid Systeme / Airbus Cabin Systems, Airbus Avionics, Diehl Aerospace, Rockwell Collins Avionics and Technofan each received a Gold Award for their consistent delivery of “Exceptional Customer Support Performance” and for being ranked in the top 10 for five years or more;
• B/E Aerospace Refrigeration Products, Parker Aerospace, Thales Avionics, Hamilton Sundstrand and Ultra Electronics Controls each received a Silver Award in recognition of their “Excellent Customer Support Performance” and for their top 10 performance during the last four years;
• EADS Sogerma received an award as the most improved supplier for support provided in 2009.

The major equipment suppliers to the Airbus family are rated on three criteria: the ability to provide continuously reliable equipment and systems including technical support; ensuring effective operational support services are aligned to Airbus support standards; benchmarking cost of ownership in terms of spares pricing and equipment direct maintenance cost.

For these awards, the rated suppliers are divided into two categories: Systems & Equipment Suppliers (38 SFE suppliers and three IFE suppliers); and Cabin Suppliers* (three IFE Suppliers, eight Seat suppliers and 11 Galley & Monument suppliers).

“Following a constantly increasing response rate, 117 airlines representing 82 percent of the Airbus in-service fleet have participated to the Supplier Support Rating. They have unanimously recognized the importance for their community to annually assess the Suppliers’ performance in support of the operation of their aircraft through the Airbus rating process,” said Lux. “Once more, this clearly demonstrates that the Airbus Supplier Support Rating is setting the standards within our industry,” he added.

The next rating cycle will be launched during the final quarter of 2010. New improvements to the process will allow Airbus to ensure that the Supplier Support rating captures the clearest picture of its customers’ relationships with its Systems & Equipment, Cabin and Engine manufacturers. Airbus monitors suppliers ensuring they instigate dedicated actions and thus continuously improve their own performance, and benefiting the reliability of the Airbus fleet as a whole.

* “Cabin” suppliers received their awards earlier this year at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany. “Engine” manufacturers are not included in these awards as they are rated separately.