Boeing has suspended purchasing titanium from Russian supplier VSMPO-AVISMA after Western governments placed sanctions on the nation following the invasion of Ukraine.
While Boeing has suspended its contract with VSMPO-AVISMA, the plane manufacturer ensured that its existing inventory and diversity of titanium sources “provide sufficient supply for airplane production” and will allow the company to “take the right steps to ensure long-term continuity”, Boeing said in an email statement cited by Bloomberg on March 7, 2022.
Titanium is widely used in aircraft manufacture due to its excellent properties.
In November 2021, Boeing’s contract with VSMPO-AVISMA was extended.
According to VSMPO-AVISMA, it has acted as Boeing’s largest supplier of titanium for commercial production for about 25 years. The material has been used for several jets such as the 737s, the 767s, the 787s, the 777s, and the 777Xs.
European planemaker Airbus said it continued to purchase titanium from Russia and other countries and that it was also obtaining titanium indirectly via its first-tier suppliers in compliance with sanctions, an undisclosed source told Reuters.