Airbus on January 1 established a wholly owned subsidiary dedicated to aerostructures manufacturing and services. Named Airbus Atlantic, the subsidiary effectively combines the activities of existing Airbus sites in Nantes and Montoir-de-Bretagne, France, as well as Stelia Aerospace sites worldwide.

The unification comes as part of a so-called transformation project Airbus announced last April. It is meant to strengthen the value chain of aerostructure assembly and stems from what the company calls its “intention to gain competitiveness, innovation, and quality.” Plans call for Airbus Atlantic to play a key role within the parent company’s aerostructure supply chain, which consists of more than 500 direct suppliers of “flying products” and more than 2,000 indirect suppliers of general procurement products.

“At the heart of Airbus, Airbus Atlantic aims at meeting the great challenges linked to a sustainable aviation industry, pioneering new technologies,” said Cédric Gautier, CEO of Airbus Atlantic. “Our first mission will be to ensure the satisfaction of all our customers and to establish new standards of excellence in terms of quality and operational efficiency. I have full confidence in the talent, enthusiasm, and commitment of the Airbus Atlantic teams to write this new chapter of our history with success.”

Employing 13,000 staff in five countries and generating an estimated business volume of around €3.5 billion, Airbus Atlantic now ranks as the world’s second-largest aerostructures supplier and the largest maker of pilot seats, according to Airbus. It is also the third-largest supplier of business-class and first-class passenger seats, which it will continue to market under the Stelia Aerospace brand.