Our country is famous for production and maintenance of airplanes of all types. Manufacturing companies in Poland produce:
- light sports, passenger, agricultural and training aircrafts,
- helicopters,
- gliders,
- aircraft parts and accessories.
In general, there are roughly 55 aviation companies operating in Poland which employ a total of 16 thousand people. Rising production of civil planes created new development opportunities for the existing factories. A significant share of their output is exported, mainly to: the USA, Venezuela, Italy, Greece, Canada, Spain, Germany, South Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam and Iraq.
A rapid growth of production in the aviation sector is achieved thanks to cooperation with the world’s largest corporations. This envisages production of parts and components for planes in Poland, which will later be assembled abroad. The country specializes mainly in elements made of aluminium alloys (riveting, pressure welding and etching). Poland also has the potential to become world’s leading production and servicing centre of light aircrafts. It has the experts, tradition and the necessary infrastructure.
The Polish ‘aviation valley’ has one of the best locations in Central Europe for conducting and developing projects associated with aviation. This region, which lies in the south-western part of Poland, has focused within its area many manufactures associated with the aeroplane industry such as: scientific research centres and training centres, including a university with a department of mechanical engineering and aviation.
„Aviation Valley” provides employment for 8 thousand highly qualified workers. Over 75% of all national aviation products are manufactured in this area. It offers the services of specialists associated with the Rzeszów University of Technology and 21 other institutions and firms, some of which are listed below:
- WSK Rzeszów (manufacturer of engines),
- PZL Świdnik (manufacturer of helicopters),
- PZL Mielec ( Manufacturer of light transport and special-purpose airplanes, ag and fire-fighting and trainer aircraft, supplier of aerostructures and aircraft components for international industrial cooperation programs),
- Pratt & Whitney Kalisz (manufacturer of engine parts),
- Wytwórnia Zespołów Kooperacyjnych (subcontractor of doors for Boeing aeroplanes),
- Zakłady Narzędziowe w Mielcu (producer of processing lines for the aviation industry),
- Stamet Zakład Mechaniczny S. Stachura (producer of aeroplane parts).
One of the Polish enterprises - Serwis Samolotów Historycznych - operating in the "aviation valley" specializes in production of replicas of old aircrafts. The company sells almost 100% of its production to foreign markets - to Canada, Switzerland and the EU countries.
Aviation corporations are interested in making use of the production capacity of Polish aviation companies, which are very competitive mainly in terms of high quality and low labour costs. A good example is Boeing Commercial Airplanes’ (BCA) signing a six-year contract with WZK Mielec for the production of emergency doors for the 757 aeroplane, worth USD 7 million.
Further investments in Poland are considered by such aviation giants like:
- Pratt & Whitney,
- EADS,
- British Aerospace,
- Lockheed Martin,
- Boeing,
- R&D Precision.
