Sonaca extends manufacturing business into Romania
The Sonaca SA (Société Nationale de Construction Aérospatiale SA) company, responsible for making commercial and passenger plane components, recently opened a new factory in Romania, meant for manufacturing wing parts.
The actual inauguration ceremony took place on March 10th, in a village near the Romanian city of Turda, in Cluj County (Moldoveneşti). The factory has been officially opened and is owned by the Belgian Sonaca company, a manufacturer of aerospace components. With an investment of 12 million EUR, the Cluj plant will be responsible with making various wing component for Airbus-brand planes. Specifically, the wing components will be primarily designed for the Airbus A320 plane model, but also for a Brazilian manufacturer.
According to the General Director of Sonaca Aerospace Transilvania, Laurent Maroy, around 30 people will be working at the factory at first, with the number estimated to reach 100 by the end of the year. Also, with time, the factory will be operating with 250 employees. The General Director mentions the Moldoveneşti plant will be using aluminum and carbon fiber in the manufacturing process. With an estimated output for this year, the factory will be able to deliver components for 24 Airbus planes.
The factory is built on a plot of land of 10.000 square meters, with easy access to the Cluj-Napoca International Airport, which operates direct routes to Brussels (Belgium). The factory is also close to the Transylvania highway, offering easy access to neighboring Hungary.
Romania is home to several important centers for aerospace operations, including those located near the cities of Brașov and Bacău, according to Romanian Government official Alexandru Petrescu, Minister for Business, Commerce and Entrepreneurial activities. According to the Government source, the Romanian industry needs European companies to develop and, with the addition of the Sonaca brand, more will follow.
Sonaca Aerospace Transilvania SRL is a local subsidiary of the Sonaca SA Company. Sonaca is responsible with development, production, assembly and testing of structures and systems for the aerospace industry. The Belgian Group also owns several manufacturing plants in Belgium, China, Canada and Brazil, with intents for a new build in the USA.
