Airbus, one of the world's premium aircraft manufacturers, has renewed its Lead Logistics Provider contract with Kuehne + Nagel until 2016. Kuehne + Nagel will continue to manage Airbus' entire production logistics in France, Germany, Spain, the UK and China for all aircraft programmes. The company will further streamline operational processes to increase efficiency along the supply chain. As one of the aerospace logistics market leaders, Kuehne + Nagel has been performing contract logistics services since 2003, and from 2008 the logistics provider has been performing all European production logistics operations for Airbus. Throughout the last years, the scope of activities and the geographical range have been extended continuously.

Kuehne + Nagel's comprehensive service package for Airbus consists of all standard logistics activities such as goods receipt, quality inspection, storage and picking & packing. In addition, Kuehne + Nagel has enlarged its portfolio of value added services by taking over tasks not directly related to Airbus' core business such as section handling, kitting, after sales support and wing wrapping for the aircraft type A380.

As part of the contract, Kuehne + Nagel strongly focuses on operational excellence to support Airbus' production ramp-up and the development of new programmes in connection with the types A350XWB and A320neo.

Other milestones in the cooperation with Airbus will be the operation of a new logistics hub - to be opened in Toulouse later in 2014 - and further deploying reusable packaging initiatives as well as extending the ordering business in a global approach to reduce recurring costs of ordering operations.

Bertrand George, Head of Airbus Operational Excellence and responsible for the worldwide Airbus Logistic and Transport: The contract extension with Kuehne + Nagel fosters our long term partnership and we count on this strong collaboration to further improve the efficiency of the Airbus production logistics system.

The business partnership between Kuehne + Nagel and Airbus demonstrates how added value for both parties can be generated by focusing on core competencies, customer needs and first class services with the commitment to ongoing optimisation and innovation, said Robert Berganus, Senior Vice President Contract Logistics at Kuehne + Nagel.