HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (AP) — PPG Industries, a maker of paints, coatings and other specialty products, said Thursday one of its subsidiaries received a contract to redesign laminated glass windshields for Boeing's next-generation 737 airplanes.
Pittsburgh-based PPG said its aerospace transparencies business was awarded the contract by Spirit AeroSystems, a Boeing supplier based in Wichita, Kan. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The windshields are being redesigned at Boeing's request to accommodate airframe improvements, according to PPG.
The redesigned windshields will be slightly smaller than current ones and will include a plastic liner to prevent broken glass from entering the flight deck in case of a bird-strike event.
In a statement, Art Scott, a global sales director for the PPG unit, said the company expects certification of the newly designed windshields in the second quarter 2010.
They will be designed and manufactured at PPG's Huntsville, Ala., facility and delivered to Spirit's plant in Wichita. Spirit builds wing and fuselage components for nearly every Boeing commercial aircraft.
Shares of PPG rose 11 cents to $55.64 in afternoon trading. Boeing Co. shares edged up 16 cents to $46.50. Spirit Aerosystems Holdings Inc. slipped 3 cents to $14.00.
