Springs plant will build seats for Airbus/ $40 million deal could

0 Comments | Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Jul 29, 2003 | by RICH LADEN

A $40 million deal between U.S. aerospace giant Goodrich Corp. and European aircraftmaker Airbus could mean more jobs in Colorado Springs.

Goodrich, based in Charlotte, N.C., said Monday it won a contract to develop and manufacture cabin attendant and cockpit occupancy seats for Airbus' new 555-seat A380 aircraft.

The state-of-the-art A380, which can cover 8,000 nautical miles, is scheduled to begin flying in 2006.

Much of the design, development and manufacture of those seats - 18 to 25 for each A380 - will be done at Goodrich's Aircraft Interior Products facility in Colorado Springs, the company said.

Over time, Goodrich expects to produce thousands of seats for the A380, said Christine Probett, president of Goodrich's Phoenix-based Aircraft Interior Products division.

Probett said it's too early to know if the contract will result in more jobs in the Springs.

Yet, she said, "one would expect that there's going to be some increases (in employment) on both sides of the development and manufacturing."

Goodrich employs about 220 at its Springs operation, Probett said.

The Aircraft Interior Products division will develop and manufacture wall-mounted, floor-mounted and high-comfort cabin attendant seats.

The seats will be used by flight attendants on commercial flights.

They also will be used in cockpits as fourth and fifth occupant seats. They are not the seats used by pilots and co-pilots, Probett said.

Safety, aesthetics and weight are factors in the design and manufacture of the seats, which must be able to withstand changes in gravitational forces, yet still look good without being too heavy, Probett said.

Goodrich, which supplies aircraft products and services to the aerospace industry, said its A380 design team has been working with Airbus since 2000.

The contract between Goodrich and Airbus comes at a time when Colorado Springs' manufacturing industry has been pummeled by layoffs and plant shutdowns.

Since 2001, the manufacturing sector has cut more than 4,000 jobs.

Last week, computer chipmaker Vitesse Semiconductor Corp. said it will close its Springs factory by the end of September, affecting about 50 employees.

CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0228 or rladen@gazette.com