Interview with Nicolas BONLEUX, Liebherr Aerospace Managing Director :

AeroMorning: How is Liebherr-Aerospace’s activity currently developing?

Nicolas Bonleux: Liebherr’s production activity are accelerating in order to support the ramp-ups that that take place at the various aircraft manufacturers. Several of our customers (especially in the field of business aircraft and of commercial aircraft) are increasing their production, the most sensible ramp-up being the A 320 program.

• In parallel, Liebherr’s customer service activities are intensifying with the deployment of the Liebherr portal, that offers a wide range of possibilities for our airlines customers to connect with us and benefit from several services. In addition, our health monitoring services gain ground with two airlines having decided to adopt them. For example, we have deployed our Digital Smart MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) solutions across our customer base worldwide; as another example, we have just opened our new Online Liebherr-Aerospace Training Center.

• Our R&D activities in support of enabling tomorrow’s green aviation have further intensified in the last months, especially in the frame of the Clean aviation initiative.

• We have launched hiring processes in most of our sites worldwide – for example we plan to hire 80 persons this year in Toulouse.
• AeroMorning: What are the main focus of your updated business strategy?
• Nicolas Bonleux: We have recently released our strategy update for the coming years. While the strategic pillars that we have developed in the past –technology leadership, operational excellence, customer proximity- remain a strong focus supported by the long-term vision of our shareholders, we have expanded our approach to additional topics. A few of them are mentioned below.

• We have set a particular focus on our Corporate Responsibility. We have appointed a Corporate Responsibility manager who reports directly to the Board of Directors of the Aerospace Division and who is in charge of designing and coordinating our Corporate Responsibility strategy.

• In parallel, we continue to implement our digital transformation strategy along several avenues, that all progress according to the plan. In addition to our digital solutions for our airline customers, we are deploying our digital model approach across our sites, as well as our digital workplace strategy.

• Finally, we have recorded our first success for our new business development activity, Elective Products.  This activity consists in offering elective products to our operator customers, who can chose between several options for the customization or the enhancement of their aircraft. We have been recently selected by Airbus to develop a new generation of the A 320 and the A 330 cockpit static inverter. This unit will be a key member of our Elective Product family.

• AeroMorning: What are the Upcoming Events
• Nicolas Bonleux: As a consequence, we will exhibit at the Berlin ILA airshow in June 2022, where we will display our latest technologies for electrical aviation, green aviation and defense. We will display some of these technologies as well at the world’s major construction equipment exhibition, the Bauma in Munich in October 2022.

• AeroMorning; Tell us more about Recent successes with customers? Nicolas Bonleux: We have enjoyed several successes with our customers recently, that prove the relevance of our R&D strategy:
• As already mentioned in paragraph 2 above, Airbus selected us for the next generation of the A 320 and A 330 cockpit static inverter. This is the first time we get awarded a contract for an ATA 24 system.
• Deutsche Aircraft selected us to supply the flap control system for the DO 328 eco program, a modernization of the Dornier 328 aircraft.
• Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd from India signed with us a Memorandum of Understanding through which we will jointly develop the technologies that will enable their future aircraft.
• Thales Alenia Space selected us for thermal management components of their next generation satellite Space Inspire.

• We are in the process of releasing many additional new successes shortly: pay attention to the Liebherr’s news in the coming weeks!

Nadia Didelot for AeroMorning