A subsidiary of the automotive supplier Dräxlmaier Group has achieved Part 21G approval, enabling it to enter the aviation market. “Some of the finest cars in the world have interiors by Dräxlmaier,” Klaus Schlarb, CEO of Dräxlmaier Aviation Group, told Business Jet Interiors International. “We see a big chance to deliver the same quality to the premium segment of the aviation business. We can bring automotive innovations into the sky.”
The Dräxlmaier Group develops and produces interior components and complete interiors, primarily for automotive manufacturers. Its customers include Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Jaguar, Land Rover, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Tesla and Volkswagen. The group employs around 55,000 people and has more than 60 sites in more than 20 countries. Its headquarters are in Germany.
Dräxlmaier Aviation was established in 2013. Its product portfolio ranges from seats to interior furnishings and ambient lighting. “We would like to focus on the premium segment of the industry – wide-body private jets and business jets,” Schlarb revealed. “In the long run, we plan to be a fully fledged partner for the aviation industry. The 21G approval allows us to produce for the aviation industry, but our aim is to have the whole process – from design to production – in-house. In our automotive business, we offer the complete service – from first design to construction, prototyping, testing, production and logistics. So we have a lot of competencies in the group already.”
The Part 21G approval was granted by German Federal Office of Civil Aviation in accordance with EU regulation No. 748/2012. “Being certified as an automotive supplier, we are used to audits and quality processes, so although it involved additional effort to get the 21G approval, it was not as big a task as if we had started from scratch,” said Schlarb.
