GKN Aerospace now approved for manufacture of replacement windshields for Boeing 737 Classic and Next Generation aircraft.

GKN Aerospace has received FAA Parts Manufacturer Approval (PMA) and EASA Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) approval to manufacture and supply the 737 No. 1 and No. 2 heated cockpit windshields.

This approval provides airline operators worldwide with an alternate source for the supply of spares replacement windshields for this aircraft for the first time. It also positions GKN Aerospace as a one stop source for all replacement cockpit and cabin transparencies for the 737, as the Company has supplied the No. 3 Side cockpit window and CrystalVue II passenger and door windows for all models of the 737 aircraft for many years.

Sam Lee, Director of Sales for GKN Aerospace Special Products comments on this success: "The Boeing 737 is the best-selling jet aircraft in history, with more than 5000 aircraft in service worldwide today - and represents the single largest cockpit windshield spares replacement market for a commercial transport aircraft. This is a major milestone for our transparency aftermarket activity as we continue to grow our capability to support the commercial aircraft MRO market. Sales of the 737 cockpit windshields will support our continuous investment in this large market segment of the aerospace industry."

The GKN Aerospace FAA and EASA approved windshield designs are directly interchangeable with the current Boeing part numbers. Customers from any airline operating 737 Classic and Next Generation aircraft (737-100 through 737-900 models) will be able to source their spares replacements directly from GKN Aerospace or through its global airline distribution network. The Company will manufacture the windshields at its facility in Birmingham, UK, from where it will service European, Asia and Middle Eastern operators and distributors. North and South America will be serviced from stock located at the Company's facility in Garden Grove, California, USA.

GKN Aerospace is a leading provider of transparencies for the civil aerospace market and specifically for the Boeing fleet of aircraft in both original equipment and aftermarket. The Company is equally strong in military arena, supplying replacement canopies for the USAF F-15C, F-16 and F-22A, and for the UK RAF Tornado and Harrier aircraft. GKN Aerospace has also developed the advanced canopy systems for the Eurofighter Typhoon and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.