Although Airbus could not quite match the Boeing wing offer, it discussed a substantial work package worth about 10 percent, including wing spoilers and ribs, cargo doors, and panels. The Airbus argument was that it—not Boeing—was the commercial powerhouse of the future, and that forging new links with Europe would provide an opening for greater quantities of commercial aviation business in the twenty-first century.

The Japanese manufacturers were in a tough position. Boeing raised concerns that its old industrial partners could risk infringing agreements with them should they invest in the A380. Furthermore, Boeing was busy pushing its recently revealed Sonic Cruiser concept, and had expressed confidence that Japanese industry would feature prominently in its development. Airbus gave FHI, KHI, and MHI until June to decide on whether or not to become risk-sharing partners, though by the end of the month it had already become clear that it was not going to happen.

After reports in the Japan Industrial Journal pointed to “doubts over the project’s viability,” it came as no surprise when FHI, KHI, and MHI reaffirmed loyalty to Boeing and rejected the full risk-sharing offer from Airbus. From here on out, Airbus’ focus widened to attract second- and third-tier Japanese suppliers, which quickly began to join forces with Airbus. JAMCO, developer of the “no-slam can” (non-slamming toilet lid) for the 777 and a traditional Airbus fin part producer, was named as supplier of the upper-deck-floor carbon crossbeams, as well as stiffeners and stringers for the fin center box at its Mitaki site in Tokyo.

Others included Toray and Toho Tenax, which were signed up to supply intermediate carbon-fiber filaments for several airframe structures, while Sumitomo Metal Industries was contracted to supply titanium sheets. Some involvement from the heavies then followed when FHI, MHI, and Japan Aircraft Manufacturing all became involved as simple subcontractors. FHI was contracted to provide leading and trailing edges for the vertical stabilizer, plus the fin tip and aerodynamic fairings. The parts would be produced at FHI’s Utsunomiya site. MHI, working through EADS subsidiary Eurocopter, was meanwhile contracted to supply forward and aft lower cargo doors at its factory at Oye in Nagoya. Japan Aircraft Manufacturing signed up to produce horizontal stabilizer tips at its Yokohama factory.

Later in 2002, new deals were also struck with a further group of Japanese companies, taking the island nation’s potential total revenue in the A380 to well over $1.75 billion in the years to come, said Airbus. The new deals included Kobe–based ShinMaywa Industries, which was signed up for the very large main wing root fillet fairing, and the Yokohama Rubber Company, which was contracted to make composite water and waste tanks at its Hiratsuka factory in Kanagawa. Nikkiso was also signed up to provide composite cascades for the thrust reversers, which were to be fabricated at its Shizuoka plant in Haibara.

Over the following years, the potential Japanese revenue share increased to over $3 billion, according to Airbus, which later awarded a second contract to ShinMaywa for composite wing ramp surfaces. It also signed a deal with Mitsubishi Rayon for advanced composites for various A380 parts.

Australian, Korean, and Chinese manufacturers also became involved, with Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) becoming the first Asian-based risk-and-revenue-sharing partner with a 1 1/2 percent share. Its initial contract covered the supply of 21-by-10-foot aluminum lower outer wing skin panels to be made at its Changwon factory. Australia’s Hawker de Havilland company was selected to build the large A380 wingtip fences and was already a manufacturer of similar devices for the A330/A340. Ironically, Hawker de Havilland was also owned by Boeing, making it the first time the U.S. company had directly contributed to an Airbus program. (Not counting, of course, the heavily modified Boeing Super Guppy transports that had formed the backbone of the Airbus transport system since the 1970s—see Chapter 8).

China’s AVIC I was later added to the subcontractor list with a deal to make the upper and lateral panels of the A380 nose landing gear bay. The work was subcontracted via the French company Latecoere, and represented the first direct involvement by a Chinese manufacturer in the A380. It seemed that the world itself was now involved in assembling the planet’s largest airliner.