Capacity planning adding to ramp-up challenge woes

Airbus first announced plans to ramp up its A320 programme in 2021 and some manufacturers were unsure whether it would be possible to meet this level of demand, particularly as many were still suffering the after-effects of the pandemic shutdowns, which left them with depleted resources and a lack of skilled labour. With the rate increases firmly underway, aerospace and defence (A&D) manufacturers know that more challenges lie ahead as Airbus moves closer to its target to make 75 jets per month by 2025.

To learn more about how the industry is coping with the rate ramp up, management consultancy Vendigital has delivered a rate readiness assessment project within the A&D manufacturing supply chain, comprising over 100 suppliers based in Asia, Europe and the US. The assessments carried out revealed that 38 per cent had inadequate processes for capacity planning.

In a statement, Paul Adams, director and A&D sector specialist at Vendigital, said: “We know that the rate ramp up has been challenging for manufacturers across the supply chain. The project we carried out provided an under-the-bonnet assessment of how the industry is coping with the rate increases and it is clear that a lack of focus on capacity planning is holding some businesses back.”