Vaculug secures Heathrow ground operations license
Vaculug has received approval for its Heathrow Ground Operations License, which company representatives say marks “a key milestone in the company’s growth within the aviation sector”.
Tag Archive for: aviation tyres
Goodyear confirms 850 job losses at Danville, USA tyre factory
Following the news that it will “refocus” tyre production at the Danville, Virginia, USA factory, Goodyear confirmed that 850 jobs will be lost. In a stock market filing dated 30 January, Goodyear executives stated that they have “reached an agreement with the United Steelworkers [union]” to “reduce the company’s production capacity and production cost per tyre in Americas.”
Goodyear set to ‘refocus’ Danville tyre factory on ‘mixing and the aviation sector’
Around the time Goodyear announced that it had sold the Dunlop brand rights to Sumitomo Rubber Industries across the American, European and Oceania regions, in the USA Goodyear announced plans to refocus its Danville, Virginia tyre factory away from truck tyre production and onto ‘mixing and the aviation sector’. Commercial tyre production will instead be moved to other factories within Goodyear’s existing estate.
Sinochem subsidiary Guilin Lanyu begins civil aircraft tyre production
Major tyre industry player Sinochem Holdings claims a superlative with Guilin Lanyu Aviation Tyre Development Co., Ltd., announcing that its subsidiary began operation as China’s first major civil aircraft tyre production line on 23 November 2024. Sinochem may need to further elucidate its use of the word ‘first,’ however, as Sentury Tire has been talking about producing aircraft tyres for civil applications for some time now. Semantics aside, Sinochem shares in a statement that the Guilin Lanyu plant in southern China has a capacity to produce 100,000 civil aircraft tyres annually, a quantity sufficient to meet 40 per cent of the country’s current demand for these products.
Dunlop Aircraft Tyres awarded $7.6 million US military contract
The U.S. Department of Defense reports that Dunlop Aircraft Tyres Inc. has gained a contract valued at an estimated US$7,640,593 from the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Marine in Columbus, Ohio. The Dunlop Americas facility in Mocksville, North Carolina will supply aircraft tyres Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps. users over a three-year period, to 19 August 2027.
Victors honoured in revived Michelin aviation challenge
Honours for winners of the inaugural Michelin Challenge Cup Revival. At a presentation ceremony held on 27 July, Michelin and its competition partners bestowed awards and trophies upon competitors for achievements during a two-month long competition that aimed to recapture “the spirit of the pioneers of aviation by harking back to the Michelin Aviation Cup.” Conceived by André Michelin in 1908, the Michelin Aviation Cup pitted the first aviators in history against one another.
JAL and Bridgestone expand tyre Wear prediction technology to large jets
Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. (JAL) and Bridgestone Corporation have extended the application of their tyre wear prediction technology to implement scheduled tyre replacement operations for large jet aircraft, including the Airbus A350-900, which JAL has operated since May 2024.
Petlas gains aviation tyre certification
The Turkish Accreditation Agency (TÜRKAK) has awarded Petlas Tire Corporation its National Accreditation Certificate. This certification enables the company’s nationally accredited Tire Testing Laboratory to provide international compliance approval for aviation tyres.
FY 2023: Dunlop Aircraft Tyres returns to profitability
In the preamble to its 2023 Annual Report and Financial Statements, Dunlop Aircraft Tyres Limited (DATL) notes that the aviation industry began “getting back to its pre-pandemic working environment” last year after more than three years of coping with the global pandemic and associated shut- and lockdowns. Despite a host of factors such as uncertain material, transportation and energy prices, the end of the pandemic has facilitated the company’s return to the black. After recording a pre-tax loss of £2.97 million in 2022, last year DATL achieved a profit before tax of £804,000.
Bridgestone plant a ‘Factory of the Future’
Bridgestone Aircraft Tire Europe (BAE) has received a ‘Factory of the Future’ award for its facility in Frameries, Belgium. BAE is one of 17 firms honoured by Digital Wallonie, the Walloon Government’s digital strategy, at a ceremony that took place in Brussels on 8 February.
Michelin named BRM Aero exclusive tyre supplier
Czechia-based aircraft manufacturer BRM Aero has entered into an exclusive 100 per cent OEM partnership with Michelin for global retail sales. Announcing the arrangement, Martin Bristela, the general aviation luxury light sport aircraft specialist’s chief executive officer, states that “our partnership with Michelin, a world leader in tyre technology, represents a new chapter for BRM Aero.
Bridgestone gains Airbus supplier award
Airbus has bestowed a supplier award upon Bridgestone Corporation in recognition of the tyre maker’s “efforts to realise a sustainable society.” Bridgestone received this award, given in the sustainability category, during last month’s Airbus Global Supplier Conference in Toulouse, France.
Michelin, Lilium sign eVTOL tyre agreement
German aerospace company Lilium is developing the world’s first all-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) jet, and Michelin has partnered to create tyres for the aircraft. Lilium and Michelin began working together more than a year ago to develop and produce custom tyres for the Lilium Jet and have now signed a final agreement covering design, serial production, and support.
Sentury Tire: 1 million OE tyres & increased aviation business
During an earnings presentation held on 8 November, China’s Sentury Tire shared its expectation of selling more than one million original equipment tyres in 2023. The company added that it is focusing on “mid- to high-end” OEMs.
Michelin unveils aircraft tyre plan & welcomes new activities in Bourges
The Bourges site in France is Michelin’s only aviation tyre plant in Europe, and the company reports that production has grown significantly over the past two years, leading to certain organisational issues as well as the need to recruit and train almost 240 permanent employees in 2022 and 2023. Michelin launched a collaborative project to deal with these challenges, and various stakeholders have come up with a five-year plan to ensure the Bourges plant performs better. The site is also expanding its activities to include Michelin Inflatable Solutions.
