Spirit AeroSystems opens Kinston composite aerostructures plant--New facility to produce Airbus A350 fuselage panels, front wing spars

摘要

On July 2, Wichita, Kan.-based Spir-it AeroSystems officially opened its 682,000-ft~2/63,360m~2 facility in Kinston, N.C. Initially the plant will be dedicated to the production of center fuselage panels and the front wing spar for the forthcoming Airbus (Toulouse, France) A350 XWB. Awarded the A350 parts contract in May 2008, Spirit broke ground at the Kinston site in September of that year. Site selection was motivated, in part, by its proximity to the coast and an 11,500-ft/3,505m runway, giving the company air and sea options for transatlantic shipping. Also influential was North Carolina's 125 million dollars (USD) in incentives, including a 5 million dollars grant and more than 20 million dollars payable over 12 years, tied to job creation.