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Michelin and Emirates Airlines recently announced the signing of a 10-year agreement whereby Michelin will be the sole tyre supplier to the airline’s fleet of Airbus A380s, soon to be the biggest in the world and due to fly out of Australia. Michelin will equip the airline with the Michelin Near Zero Growth (NZG) radial tyres, lowering the total weight of each aircraft by 360kg and leading to a significant lowering of fuel consumption. The Michelin NZG tyres are long-lasting and highly impact and damage resistant. The NZG can make 30% to 40% more landings than diagonal tyres, offering significant equipment savings. Each tyre has the ability to carry a payload of 33 tonnes at 378 km/h. “We are delighted to make this announcement as it’s a deal that will benefit everyone involved. At Michelin we pride ourselves on our forward thinking and being on the forefront of tyre technology that yields benefits to the user”, says Steven Vette, Managing Director of Michelin Australia. |
The Michelin NZG tyres were developed at the Michelin Technology Centre in Ladoux, France, and manufactured at the plant in Bourges, France, which is Michelin’s worldwide centre of excellence in radial aircraft tyres. “Emirates Airlines have current order requirements for 58 aircrafts and will have the largest A380 fleet in the world - and each aircraft will be fitted with 20 NZG radial tyres in the main landing gear position. “In order to meet these demands and those of the radial market, the Michelin Technology Centre in Ladoux will double its production capacity between 2006 and 2012”, says Vette. Deliveries of the Michelin NZG tyres are currently underway, and will continue until June 2013. The Michelin NZG-equipped Emirates Airbus A380 fleet will be used out of Australia, with specific dates yet to be confirmed
October 2008 |
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