Strata staff celebrate aerostructures shipment to AleniaAermacchi

The unveiling ceremony and shipment coincided with National Day commemorations at Strata headquarters in Al Ain, and was attended by representatives from senior leadership including Badr Al-Olama, CEO of Strata; and Mr. Maurizio De Mitri, SVP AleniaAermacchi.

During his speech, Homaid Al Shemmari explained:
"Every National Day we celebrate the achievements of our country, and I am reminded here today that the growth and sustainability of any economy or industry ultimately depends on the knowledge and skills of its local workforce. Following international training with one of the key players in the aerospace industry, it is a real achievement for Strata to have completed this first ATR package of Vertical Fin for AleniaAermacchi and for so many UAE nationals to have played their part in the delivery. I look forward to seeing more Emiratis joining Strata's training programs, contributing to this exciting company's growth and ensuring Abu Dhabi becomes a truly global aerospace hub."

Badr Al-Olama added: "The delivery of this package to our long term partner AleniaAermacchi is an important step as it showcases our ability to deliver increasingly complex work packages, which will lead to further growth for our young company and development of our UAE workforce. Becoming a tier-one supplier to this leading Original Equipment Manufacturer is a major step forward, as Strata continues to realize and exceed the goals we set out for ourselves two years ago. Over the course of the coming years, I eagerly anticipate celebrating more firsts with our growing team.. "

Strata sent 43 of its employees to AleniaAermacchi's facility in Italy, including three Emirati women, to receive specialized training in all aspects of assembly, operations and composites manufacturing for the ATR Vertical Fins and Rudders. The trainees have now returned to Al Ain to begin implementing the skills they acquired to successfully complete this package.

"Seeing the results of our hard work leave Al Ain for Foggia in Italy is incredibly exciting. The training and exposure we received there has been fundamental to our career development, enhancing our practical expertise and also our understanding of the exciting potential of the wider aerospace industry," explained Suad Al Badi, one of the Emirati employees at Strata.

"We are proud to share our experiences with colleagues, furthering the development of our company and of Al Ain."

The provisions of the contract between Strata and AleniaAermacchi include the manufacturing of Vertical Fins, Rudders and Horizontal Stabilizers for the ATR aircraft. Upon completion of these work packages in 2014, Strata will be the single supplier of the whole ATR tail section, known as the empennage, to AleniaAermacchi.

Maurizio De Mitri , SVP Alenia Aermacchi said: "With the first package completed for the ATR Vertical Fin programme, Strata employees have shown their commitment to supplying vital structures with the highest standards of quality. This milestone achievement strengthens the growing relationship between AleniaAermacchi and Strata, and we look forward to further collaboration with this talented and ambitious team."