A350 XWB cargo doors developed by Eurocopter- Deutschland but manufactured in Korea.

Eurocopter is in charge of all aircraft doors (passenger, service and cargo doors) of the A350 XWB, which represents a further step in the process of generating synergies and applying expertise for composite production methods between helicopter manufacturing and the design of aircraft doors in general.

 The closed 1.5 billion euro contract includes the development, production and delivery of all passenger and cargo doors for the A350 XWB.

Aircraft doors are safety critical components of an aircraft. Due to the demanding certification and safety requirements the doors contain a complex and failsafe mechanism to enable them to be operated under all circumstances. Eurocopter’s Business Centre Airplane Door Systems, based in Donauwörth, Germany, has over 20 years of proven expertise in aircraft doors for A320 family, A330 family and A380 series.

 

Technical know-how combined with an attractive commercial offer enabled Eurocopter to become partner with Korean Air Aerospace Division in the very competitive environment of aero structures.

This confirms that Eurocopter’s Center of Excellence for Airplane Door Systems is on the right track by shifting its focus from traditional metal structures to new manufacturing technologies based on composite materials.

3 doors manufacturing has been subcontracted to Korean Air Aerospace Division in South Korea. Korean Air was from the beginning a valuable partner, that demonstrated its capabilities to support this forward-looking method of production.

 

More than 150 Eurocopter engineers as well as 50 engineers and 80 Korean Air employees have been involved in the conceptual design, development and pre-production phases of this project since it was launched in 1997. An estimated budget of nearly 1.5 billion euros has been set aside to cover the total expenditure on all door systems for the planned family of A350 XWB aircraft, including work subcontracted to Korean Air in South Korea.

 

Korean Air Lines would be interested in buying a larger version of the Airbus A350 XWB, the carrier's president and chief executive said. The airline currently has no A350s on order, although it has ordered 10 787s. But Yang Ho Cho said that Korean Air might be interested in the long-range A350-1000, a stretched version of the A350-900 when it eventually becomes available. "The A350-900 is not the ideal configuration for us yet, so we are waiting for the right aircraft with the right engines, a larger one, the A350-1000," Cho said.