Atkins wins major contract to supply Airbus with landing gear engineering services

Consultancy says deal is a “coup” that will create jobs for engineers

Engineering consultancy Atkins has won what it says is a “very significant” contract to supply engineering services for Airbus landing gear. 

The contract, which will see Atkins working with independent landing gear specialist Stirling Dynamics, is for three years and will involve providing conceptual, analytical and design engineering services to Airbus’ UK-led Landing Gear Centre of Competence, which is based in Bristol.

Atkins’ aerospace division said that the deal would entail the creation of a number of new jobs – about 100 engineers are expected to work on the contract – and the development of the company’s existing aerospace engineering capability. 

“This is genuine growth,” said Neil Kirk, managing director of the aerospace division. “We have to develop our in-house capability, and we will be training, developing and investing in people to fulfil the demands of the contract.

“This is about sustainable, high-tech engineering work.” Kirk added that landing gear was not an area that Atkins had traditionally been involved in, and that beating off competition to win the contract had been something of a coup for the company. He said he hoped successful fulfilment of the deal would lead to its extension in three years’ time.

The contract covers a wide range of existing aircraft, including the A380 and A320 families, where continuous development of landing gear to cut down costs and improve reliability is required. Atkins will also work on the landing gear for the newer A350 XWB aircraft, which is at an early stage of development. The company will also be involved in the research and development phase of engineering landing gear for aircraft at a conceptual stage. 

The award of the contract for landing gear structures follows a deal to develop landing gear systems awarded by Airbus to Atkins Aerospace earlier this year.