Boeing 737

Alcoa has been awarded a more than $1bn worth of contract by Boeing to supply aluminium sheet and plate products used in wing ribs, wing skins or other structural parts of the aircraft.

The contract is the largest-of-its kind between the two companies, and makes Alcoa sole supplier of wing skins for metallic-structure aircraft to Boeing.

Under the deal, the companies will work closely to develop new aerospace alloys.

Alcoa chairman and CEO Klaus Kleinfeld said: "This historic agreement not only continues the 35-year Alcoa-Boeing partnership, it will take our collaboration on next-generation metallic technologies even further."

Alcoa said its products will be used on every Boeing platform, including the 787 Dreamliner, adding that the latest agreement establishes a foundation for continued collaboration on new corrosion-resistant alloys, including aluminium-lithium.

The company plans to manufacture the sheet and plate in the contract at its facility in Davenport, Iowa, US, which produces advanced products for aircraft, including the Airbus A380, and Boeing 737, 747-8 and 777, reported The Wall Street Journal.

"The companies will work closely to develop new aerospace alloys."

Alcoa has recently expanded the facility with an investment of $300m and the plant has a workforce of more than 2,400.

In addition to sheet and plate products, the company also offers aerospace forgings, extrusions, jet engine airfoils and fastening systems.

The latest contract comes after Alcoa agreed to buy Firth Rixson, an aerospace jet engine components manufacturer, for $2.85bn in June.

The company expects the Firth Rixson deal to boost its aerospace-related revenues by around 20% to $4.8bn.

Image: The Boeing next-generation 737 features Alcoa aluminum. Photo: courtesy of Business Wire / Alcoa Inc.

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