Airbus and Safran have agreed to take full control of Aubert & Duval by buying out Tikehau Capital's remaining stake — a binding deal that will leave each group owning half of the company once it clears the required regulatory approvals. Aubert & Duval is a critical aerospace metals supplier specializing in high-performance alloys and forgings essential to modern commercial aircraft production. The joint acquisition consolidates the two European aerospace giants' grip on a vital link in the supply chain, ensuring secure and uninterrupted access to materials that form the backbone of programs including the Airbus A350, A320 family, and Safran's engine systems.
Aubert & Duval has long been recognized as a cornerstone supplier for advanced nickel-based superalloys, titanium forgings, and specialty metallurgical components used in aircraft engines, landing gear, and structural applications. For the A350 widebody program in particular, materials from suppliers like Aubert & Duval are critical to meeting the aircraft's design specifications for durability, weight reduction, and thermal performance. By taking full control, Airbus and Safran eliminate intermediaries and gain direct oversight of quality, production capacity, and supply continuity—a strategic move that reflects ongoing industry consolidation around securing resilient, controlled supply chains.
The acquisition underscores the aerospace industry's ongoing focus on vertical integration and supply chain resilience. Since the pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in global sourcing networks, major OEMs have moved aggressively to secure ownership stakes in Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers. Aubert & Duval's position as a specialist in high-spec metallurgy—materials that cannot easily be substituted or sourced from alternative vendors—makes it a strategically irreplaceable asset. Control of in-house capacity allows Airbus and Safran to better manage production schedules, maintain proprietary material specifications, and reduce exposure to external price volatility or capacity constraints.
For Safran, the move is particularly significant given its extensive integration throughout modern turbofan engines. Superalloys developed and produced in-house enable Safran to optimize engine performance characteristics and respond rapidly to certification or performance requirements without negotiating with external suppliers. For Airbus, secure access to forgings and specialty alloys directly supports ramping production rates across the A320 family—currently the world's most widely produced commercial aircraft—while maintaining the performance and reliability standards demanded by operators worldwide.
The control of Aubert & Duval also positions Airbus and Safran to manage cost pressures more effectively. Aerospace suppliers face sustained inflationary pressure on raw materials, energy, and labor, and external metallurgical suppliers have limited ability to absorb margin compression. By owning the foundry and forging operations outright, Airbus and Safran can enforce efficiency improvements, optimize workflows, and avoid passing through supplier margin increases to their own production cost base.
The timing of this consolidation reflects broader recovery dynamics within commercial aerospace. Airbus has ramped A350 production following certification and entry into service, while simultaneously managing sustained demand for single-aisle aircraft. Safran's engine divisions continue supporting both new-build production and an expanding aftermarket installed base. Full control of metallurgical supply ensures both companies can scale production without becoming constrained by third-party capacity or negotiating power.
Aubert & Duval's integration into the Airbus-Safran ecosystem also carries implications for the wider European aerospace industrial base. The move consolidates metallurgical capability under direct control of Europe's two largest aerospace primes, reinforcing technological sovereignty and reducing dependency on external or non-EU suppliers for materials critical to defense and commercial programs. This aligns with European strategic autonomy objectives and the continent's stated ambition to maintain end-to-end aerospace manufacturing capability independent of global supply chain disruptions.
Sources: AeroTime, Aviation Week. Featured image: AI-generated by AviationShop. By Daniel Okafor.
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