AkzoNobel Aerospace Coatings has been honored with the Sustainability Future Award by Airbus Defence and Space (ADS) after successfully qualifying and delivering a new chrome-free aircraft primer in just six months.
This marks a significant step forward in sustainable aerospace manufacturing.
The award was presented at Airbus Defence and Space’s Air Power Global Supplier Conference in Ottobrunn, near Munich, in May. It recognizes the close collaboration between AkzoNobel and ADS teams, which enabled the new primer to move from qualification to production in a remarkably short timeframe while meeting Airbus’ demanding technical, operational and sustainability standards.
The chrome-free primer supports Airbus Defence and Space’s broader environmental goals by reducing the use of hazardous materials in aircraft manufacturing without compromising the corrosion resistance and durability required for aerospace applications.
As part of the program, AkzoNobel demonstrated its ability to rapidly scale production of the primer across multiple aircraft platforms and supply it globally, helping Airbus meet future customer demand.
The achievement comes as Airbus Defence and Space prepares to ramp up production across several aircraft programs over the next three years. AkzoNobel said it will continue working closely with ADS to support increasing production volumes while maintaining high standards of quality, performance and sustainability.
Frédéric Perret, Global Key Account Lead at AkzoNobel Aerospace Coatings, says the award is recognition of a continuing partnership to make the aerospace industry more sustainable.
“This award reflects the strength of our collaboration with Airbus Defence and Space and our shared commitment to advancing more sustainable aerospace manufacturing. Qualifying and industrializing chrome-free technologies at this pace, while demonstrating the ability to support future production ramp-up, is an important milestone for the aerospace industry.
“Alongside innovations such as chrome-free technologies,” he says, “we have also continued to strengthen our wider sustainability performance to become one of Airbus’ top performing suppliers.”
