The exponential growth of the aeronautical industry in Chihuahua

Chihuahua has established itself as one of the largest in the aviation industry nationwide since with 25% of aerospace plants in the country, the state serves as a national example. The state capital is within the first ten cities worldwide in terms of the strategy of attraction of investments and competitiveness of costs in the field, as explained by the Intelligence Unit of the British newspaper Financial Times.

The aeronautical industry of Chihuahua has an exponential growth ahead because, despite its youth, it has achieved, in less than a decade, position a competitive structure and quality worldwide.

In the global scheme, Mexico is ranked number 12 in exports worldwide, developing in the country all areas of an aircraft, from landing gear, turbines, and interiors, to structures and maintenance, taking into account that of the 300 industrial facilities that are in the country, most are located in the states of Baja California, Sonora, Nuevo Leon, Queretaro, and Chihuahua. Currently, the state has 40 operations, which generates a large number of jobs for the locals, and 98% of engineers are local.

In Chihuahua, the Aerospace Cluster has generated more than 17 thousand jobs since 2008 and currently exports more than 1,500 million dollars annually. The state ranks second in cumulative foreign investment from 2013 to 2018, which was 331 million dollars.

One of the aerospace companies in the state is Fokker / GKN Aerospace, which is a success story of the Chihuahua industry, since it manufactures aerospace parts from Gulfstream, Cessna, Airbus, Dassault, Boeing aircraft and exports to the United States, Canada, and some countries. of Europe. Currently, Fokker Chihuahua has about 150 employees and contemplates the construction of a new plant in the city for the following year.

Another operation where turbine components are manufactured is Honeywell Aerospace, with more than 1,140 machines and equipment installed. Likewise, Bell Helicopter assembles 60 percent of the Bell 407 and 429 helicopters, and the companies Cessna and Beechcraft, known today as Textron Aviation, assemble a large part of the fuselage of its various aircraft models.

Last February the National Council of Science and Technology (Conacyt) invested 143.5 million pesos for the creation of seven specialized laboratories for the aerospace industry, one of which will be in Chihuahua, run by the Chihuahua-based company HT-MX.

The education sector is another reason why the state excels in the aeronautical industry since four international quality universities are located in the territory, offering careers aimed at preparing professionals in the aeronautical industry with different job profiles, from mechanics to interior design and airport management.

During the last years, Chihuahua students have stood out, representing Mexico in international competitions, demonstrating their skills to students from universities in India, the United States, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates. The Innovation Park of Universidad La Salle Chihuahua maintains a collaboration with the company Soisa Aircraft Interiors, dedicated to the design and manufacture of interiors, with which the Ergonomic Simulation Laboratory was created to evaluate the comfort of the passenger when using the airplane cushions, designed and manufactured by the company Soisa.

Established companies

Honeywell

Cessna

Beechcraft

Bell Helicopter

EZ Air, which develops a project in conjunction with Embraer and Zodiac

Fokker GKN Aerospace Mexico

Products and services provided

High precision machinery

Harness

Seating

Aero parts

Aerostructures

Slides and rafts

Heat treatments

Turbines