Honeywell Aerospace is weighing acquisitions of smaller companies to bring more work in-house and reduce exposure to supplier quality and delivery problems, as the newly independent aerospace business continues to wrestle with bottlenecks across its supply chain. Chief executive Jim Currier linked the move to persistent constraints in parts production, while pointing to recent industry action around engine-parts supplier CPP as a sign of how manufacturers are trying to secure critical capacity.
Currier also described an ongoing programme to internalise outsourced technologies and work after two years of pullbacks in the supply chain. Honeywell Aerospace still faces problems at about 70 suppliers, down from hundreds in 2022, and has sent dozens of employees into two supplier factories to help add shifts. Those sites have increased output by about 30% over the past 30 to 45 days. The company’s approach fits a broader push across the aerospace industry to relieve shortages in castings, forgings and other constrained components.