RTX's Collins Aerospace expands aircraft electrification capabilities in Europe

Core Insights - Collins Aerospace has expanded its aircraft electrification capabilities by opening a new engineering center in Wolverhampton, UK, and a production line for electric thrust reverser actuation systems (elecTRAS™) in Colomiers, France [1][4] - The new facilities aim to enhance production efficiency and capacity while improving the design and maintenance of nacelle systems, leading to a weight reduction of 15-20% for aircraft systems [2][3] - The elecTRAS systems are currently supplied for the Airbus A350 family, which has over 600 aircraft in service, accumulating approximately 11 million flight hours and 1.8 million flight cycles [5] Company Developments - The Wolverhampton center will serve as the engineering design hub for elecTRAS, collaborating with Collins' Aerostructures headquarters in California and other global engineering centers [4] - The Colomiers facility will increase nacelle integration capacity and enhance customer proximity, supporting Collins' global customer base [3] Industry Context - Collins Aerospace is part of RTX, the world's largest aerospace and defense company, which had sales exceeding $80 billion in 2024 [6]