Michelin rolls out five-year plan for French aircraft tire site

Paris, France – Michelin has drawn up a five-year action plan to enhance operational activities and overall performance of its production facility in Bourges.

The plant has 643 permanent employees and produces 130,000 tires per year for civil, military and business aviation, according to Michelin.

In a statement 26 Oct, Michelin said production at the French site – the group’s only “aeronautical facility in Europe” – had grown significantly over the last two years.

This, it said, included the integration of new activities, such as the mounted assemblies for truck, civil engineering and subway applications, at Bourges.

The site is poised to produce the Michelin Air X Sky Light aircraft tire, claimed to be “lighter and longer lasting” than conventional tires.

Under the new five-year plan, Michelin intends to add manufacturing capacity for its “Inflatable Solutions” subsidiary, with the planned creation of 100 jobs.

Installation of production teams at the site has started with Michelin having invested €3 million to create an initial 2,000 square metre workshop.

The unit is expected to be ready for operations in January next year, with 30 employees composing the first team.

The site will “eventually” cover an area of 6,000 square metres to manufacture the non-tire products intended for aviation and defence applications.

The former AirCaptif business, acquired by Michelin in 2021, manufactures “highly technical” inflatable solutions.

They structures are claimed to be “ultra-light, modular and resistant, yet meet the expectations of demanding clients.”