Airbus renews its call to the West not to punish the Russian titanium, but to leave it as is

European aircraft manufacturer Airbus launched a new appeal to the West not to punish Russian titanium, in order to avoid a supply chain collapse, and thus affect aircraft production. Currently, the materials are exempt from EU and US sanctions.

Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury said: “We believe that punishing Russian titanium will punish ourselves”.

While worrying about supply, Airbus, as well as its counterparts around the world – particularly Boeing and Embraer – are looking for alternatives to reduce dependence on Russian titanium. The report said the metal is used to manufacture important components of the aircraft, including the landing gear and stabilizers that connect the engine to the wing, for example. The Wall Street Journal.

Titanium is becoming an increasingly important material in aircraft production due to its high strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance. Although it is mined from all over the world, production of titanium sponge, the unfinished raw material, is concentrated in places such as Japan, China and Russia. About 13% come from the latter, according to the USGS.

Airbus’ competitors, in turn, said earlier that they are able to deal with Russia’s titanium shortage by buying companies located in other countries.