ATLANTA (Oct. 20, 2010)—Goodyear expects to complete an expansion of radial aircraft tire capacity at its Danville, Va., plant by the end of the first quarter of 2011, ahead of the originally expected completion date.
Goodyear disclosed the expansion, along with a mail-in rebate campaign for aviation tires for owners/operators of Cessna or Falcon business jets, during the National Business Aviation Association's NBAA2010 trade show in Atlanta.
The expansion is part of a $500 million to $700 million investment project launched by Goodyear in 2008 to update its U.S. plants, including the plant in Danville. The Akron-based tire maker did not specify the investment or added capacity for Danville but said the expansion will double aviation radial tire capacity there.
According to Goodyear, the introduction of light alloy metal bead cores and body plies made from the merger of tough, light-weight materials has helped to reduce overall aviation tire weight while maintaining performance. As a testament to its technological achievements, the company said it was recently selected to provide the radial tire fitment for the Gulfstream G650 business jet when it enters service in 2012.
In addition, the tire maker also is kicking off its “Flight Options” rebate program by offering mail-in rebates of $100 per tire to customers who purchase qualifying tires from a participating Goodyear Aviation distributor. The deal applies to tires bought for the Cessna Citation CJ3 or Falcon 20/50/200 business jets.