Composite aerostructures suppliers pitch thermoplastics, automation for next narrowbody

In a June 17 article by Thierry Dubois, Aviation Week discusses all of the key topics related to next-generation single-aisle (NGSA) programs that CW and composites industry members know so well:

• Production demands and issues as build rates ramp.
• Composites, metals and hybrid approaches.
• Flexible automation and AI assisted technologies.
• Thermoplastic composites (TPC) and fast-cure thermosets.

While launch timing for next-generation narrowbody aircraft is still unconfirmed, Dubois reports that composite aerostructures suppliers are advancing manufacturing technologies aimed at production rates of 100 aircraft/month and perhaps higher. Airbus’ (Toulouse, France) NGSA and a future Boeing (Arlington, Va., U.S.) 737 Max successor are expected to carry significantly higher composite content than current platforms to achieve the targeted improvements in efficiency and continue forward the maintenance benefits already validated on the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787.

Composites currently account for approximately 15% of the weight of an Airbus A320, compared with 53% on the A350, notes Dubois. On next-generation aircraft, new composite structures could reduce aerostructure weight 10% compared with the previous generation of composites, or 20–30% compared with metal equivalents. Lilian Brayle, president of aerospace for Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Africa and industrial at Hexcel (Stamford, Conn., U.S.), told Aviation Week that Airbus could target composites comprising more than 60% of the NGSA airframe.

A composite wing is the baseline option for the NGSA, says Dominique Bailly, research and development director at Daher (Nantes, France). Daher supplies components for Airbus’ Wing of Tomorrow demonstrator program at Broughton, England, alongside Montana Aerospace (Reinach, Switzerland). The latter has delivered two full-scale prototypes of a hybrid metal-composite slat box assembly for that demonstrator, and is progressing a hybrid rear secondary pylon structure for Airbus’ Propulsion of Tomorrow program.

The central driver for NGSA is manufacturability at high rate. Aernnova (Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain) is prioritizing flexible automation to address the limitations of current labor-intensive processes, says Miguel Angel Castillo, vice president of technology development at Aernnova. Meanwhile, Saab (Linköping, Sweden) — which supplies composite ailerons and overwing doors for the A320 family — is evaluating AI-assisted quality monitoring and production traceability as a means of supporting higher output, according to Magnus Falk, vice president and head of business development at Saab Aerospace Systems.

TPC are drawing attention for their manufacturability advantages. Daher produces thermoplastic pylon fairings for the A320 and is participating in the Spider research project — part of the French government-funded CORAC program — targeting stamping presses capable of handling parts up to 4 × 3 meters. Stéphane Bouzat, senior vice president of innovation and technology at Latecoere (Toulouse, France), notes that thermoplastics’ shorter production cycles — including welded assembly requiring roughly 15 minutes per join versus multi-hour thermoset cure cycles — can offset a resin cost premium of approximately 40%.

Thermosets are also advancing. Hexcel is developing fast-cure thermoset processes targeting cycle times of 40 minutes, along with out-of-autoclave curing options like hot pressing (see process steps and read more about snap-cure systems).

Industry analyst Kevin Michaels, managing director of AeroDynamic Advisory (Ann Arbor, Mich., U.S.), cautioned that aerostructures suppliers face financial pressure under current contract terms. “Airframers must understand that their suppliers need to be profitable,” Michaels told Aviation Week. He also noted automation may achieve a 5-10% cost reduction that aerostructures specialists with single-digit margins may find valuable. “Moreover, the absence of an aftermarket means productivity and utilization in the factory are crucial.”

“A chance to introduce new technologies at a broad scale happens once every 40 years,” says Brayle at Hexcel, adding that composite technology has matured since the A350 was designed in the 2000s: “We’ve made advances in safety, ease of manufacturing and certifiability. Airframers have yet to use composites to maximum advantage.” 

Read more:

• Full Aviation Week article: “Composite Structures Suppliers Pitch Techniques For Future Narrowbody”
• Read “A sector under pressure: Aerostructures, insourcing and the future of composites”
• More about NGSA on CW
• Are you attending June 2026 Tech Days: Thermoplastic Composites for Aerospace Structures?