Spanish Aerospace Industry trade association TEDAE joins Aero Excellence International

The Spanish aerospace association TEDAE (Asociación Española de Empresas Tecnológicas de Defensa, Seguridad, Aeronáutica y Espacio) has decided to join GIFAS (France), ADS Group (UK) and BDLI (Germany) aerospace associations in the Aero Excellence International initiative. Within only one year, four countries have mobilized to support their value chain with this unique tool.

Their objective is helping their members to gain operational excellence and resilience in order to stay competitive in the global race to ramp up production. More than 400 industrial sites are already using this tool in Europe and USA to advance their maturity. Key industry speakers shared their vision of this new standard at the Aviation Forum 2025.

With demand for aircraft reaching record highs, the aerospace industry is facing the challenge of ensuring maturity and performance in its supply chains. To address this, the Aero Excellence International initiative was launched one year ago at the Aviation Forum in Munich by the French (GIFAS), British (ADS Group) and German (BDLI) aerospace trade associations. Based on a jointly developed set of standard criteria and guidelines, the initiative works with trained assessors to evaluate and improve the resilience of the supply chain. Since its inception, the Aero Excellence initiative has quickly become a key driver of improvement across the sector, achieving several milestones:

As of today, over 140 assessments have been successfully completed worldwide, reflecting the growing commitment of participating companies. Among them, more than 40 Bronze ratings have already been awarded. Currently, more than 200 assessments are in progress, demonstrating industry’s dedication to implementing tangible improvements and unlocking further optimization potential. The membership continues to grow rapidly: over 400 industrial sites, representing over 300 companies, are now registered and actively leveraging the benefits of Aero Excellence.

“These figures underscore not only the initiative’s acceptance but also the trust it has earned within the aerospace community", states Jörg Schuler, BDLI Vice President Equipment and Materials and member of the Aero Excellence Executive Committee.

A major focus of Aero Excellence is internationalization. The initiative originated in Europe is now expanding into the global aerospace industry. On the 2nd of October, the event “Aero Excellence International” in Mobile, US State Alabama, gathered 200 participants from US aerospace supply chain. Aero Excellence is opening new opportunities for global collaboration and the exchange of best practices, so that global companies can benefit from a unified standard that promotes efficiency and quality throughout the supply chain.

In December 2025, TEDAE decided to join the association. It will also take a seat on the Aero Excellence International Board, contributing to the strategic development of the initiative.

Through a high-profile panel discussion moderated by Alexander Beer, VP Operations Strategy & Standards, Diehl Aviation, at Aviation Forum, in Hamburg on the 10th of December, key industry experts shared their vision and perspectives for a resilient supply chain: 

• Pierre Perdoux, Chairman of the Aero Excellence International board and SVP Supply Chain & Logistics, Airbus
• Jörg Schuler, BDLI Vice President Equipment and Materials, CEO Diehl Aviation and member of the Aero Excellence Executive Committee.
• Gerd Heinzelmann, CEO Liebherr Aerospace and Transportation
• Hugo Torres, Managing Director, Aero Excellence International

“Industry feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Participants gain significant advantages, including transparent evaluations of their processes and actionable recommendations for improvement. This leads to greater competitiveness, reduced costs, and more sustainable production practices. More and more companies recognize the value of standardized evaluations and are joining the initiative. The growing number of Bronze ratings also signals a clear willingness to embrace continuous improvement.” Noted Pierre Perdoux, Chairman of the Aero Excellence International board and SVP Supply Chain & Logistics, Airbus