PHL eyes supplying more aircraft parts to Boeing

As US aircraft maker Boeing wants Philippine carriers to  buy its planes, the Philippines wants to supply more aircraft parts to the company, the Philippine embassy in Washington D.C. said.

Philippine Ambassador Jose Cuisia Jr. said this after meeting with Boeing executives at the aircraft maker's factory near Seattle.

“It would be good if Boeing considers more suppliers from the Philippines as it expands its sources of aircraft parts,” Cuisia said.

The embassy said Boeing has five suppliers from the Philippines, but wants to find quality suppliers that can help expand capacity and bring down the cost of airplane parts.

Philippine-based suppliers include MOOG, B/E Aerospace, JAMCO, Famous Secret Machining and Applied Machining Corp.

They supply parts for Boeing commercial airplanes, including the Boeing 777-300ERs of flag carrier Philippine Airlines.

But Cuisia said there is room to accommodate more Philippine-based companies in Boeing’s global supply chain, which produces nearly one billion parts a year.

An earlier news release from the embassy said Boeing is wooing Philippine carriers to buy its long-range planes, especially for the North American market.

"Noting the 6.6 percent projected growth in airline passenger traffic for the Philippines in the next 20 years and the backlog in Airbus aircraft orders, Boeing executives told Ambassador Cuisia they are ready to make aircraft for Philippine carriers available in 2016," the embassy said.

It also noted the Philippine market is presently dominated by Airbus Industries.  — Joel Locsin /LBG, GMA News