Bridgestone to boost radial aircraft tyre capacity

Tokyo -- Bridgestone Corp. is planning to boost the scale of new radial aircraft tyre capacity being installed at its Tokyo plant by two and half times the output originally envisioned, to meet rising demand.

Bridgestone is budgeting Yen 2500 million (Euro 16 million) for the project, with the new production to start initially later this year and be completely on stream by April 2010. The project will make the Tokyo plant the second Bridgestone factory to have capacity for radial aircraft tyres. They currently are produced only at the firm's Kurume, Japan, plant.

The company did not disclose its capacity for the product at Kurume or the anticipated capacity at Tokyo.

Bridgestone said the investment confirms radial aircraft tyres as a strategic product and as such operates aircraft tyre retreading plants in the US, Belgium, Japan and China, including its newest one in Qingdao, China.

From Tire Business (A Crain publication)

Press release from Bridgestone