Patria Finavicomp Oy, a subsidiary of the Finnish aviation and defence industry company Patria, will be supplying the spoilers for all the Airbus A380 passenger aeroplanes. Test flights for the two-tier plane, which will carry 555 passengers, will begin in 2005. The first spoilers will be ready in the autumn of 2003. The first aeroplane will be delivered to the customer in 2006. The transaction will be worth 425 million euros and includes the design, production and testing of the spoilers and, according to estimates, product support stretching to between 60 and 70 years.

An aeroplane's spoilers are the structures that are on the upper surface of its wing. They are lifted when the plane's wheels touch the runway. Spoilers are used for steering the plane and a fast drop in height. Slightly more than 100 A380s have been ordered so far, and each plane will have 16 spoilers. All the components will be checked by ultrasound after each production stage.

Patria Aviation Oy specializes in the design and production of aircraft and satellite structures for the aviation and space industry. The company's success is based on know-how in advanced composite structures that are made for demanding conditions. Throughout the years the company has taken part in several international aviation projects. In addition to the Airbus order, the company will be involved in assembling 50 NH-90 transportation helicopters between 2005 and 2010.

The financially sound Patria Group employs some 2,200 people, and the company's turnover in 2002 was 232.5 million euros, of which Patria Aviation Oy accounted for 61.9 million. The Patria Group is owned by the State of Finland and the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS).

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