Aircraft tire industry
The aircraft tire manufacturing industry is dominated by a four firm oligopoly that controls 85% of market share.[1]
Major manufacturers
The four major manufacturers in aircraft tire manufacturing are the following according to a report by Pelmar Engineering in 2013:[2]
- Goodyear (United States)
- Michelin (France)
- Dunlop Aircraft Tyres (United Kingdom)
- Bridgestone (Japan)
These major firms form an oligopoly that controls approximately 85% of the manufacturing market and account for most of the retreads.[2] Dunlop is the smallest player among the major firms with revenue reported at £40m in a 2015 media report.[3][4]
Other manufacturers
There are several other smaller industry players, particularly in China. Among these producers are Guilin-based Guilin Lanyu Aircraft Tire Development Co., a subsidiary of ChemChina that was founded in 1980; a Yinchuan, Ningxia located aircraft tire plant owned by Singapore-based Giti Tire; and Qingdao, Shandong-based Sentury Tire, which manufactures tires for the Boeing 737.[5][6][7]
Weihai, Shandong-based Triangle Group announced in 2012 a collaboration with the Harbin Institute of Technology for designing and manufacturing aircraft tires.[5]
Former manufacturers
Yokohama Rubber had been manufacturing aircraft tires since 1940 but shut down its operations and made no more deliveries after 2009.[8] The company decided to close down the aircraft unit because its sales were low, having revenue of only 800 million JPY or about 8 million USD in the 2008-9 fiscal year, and it assessed the future outlook of the industry as lacking in strong growth.[8]
References
- ↑ "Manufacturers work on perfecting aircraft tires". Rubber News. May 9, 2013.
- 1 2 Peled, Jacob. "Aircraft Tire Production-New Horizons". SlideShare. Pelmar Engineering Limited.
- ↑ "Dunlop Aircraft Tyres’ niche approach bucks UK trend". Financial Times. September 6, 2015.
- 1 2 "Triangle Group to add aircraft radials to range". Rubber News. May 17, 2012.
- ↑ "Brief Introduction". Guilin Lanyu Aircraft Tire Development Co.
- ↑ "Aircraft tires: Up, up and away!". Modern Tire Dealer. June 14, 2013.
- 1 2 "Yokohama withdraws from aircraft tire business". Tire Technology International.