SYSTEMS SELLING IN THE AIRCRAFT INDUSTRY

The civil aircraft industry in Europe is small but fiercely independent. In this article the authors examine the relationships European airframe manufacturers have with their suppliers: the interfirm adaptations that take place, the search for added-value in contracts through instituting systems solutions and how these affect traditional buyer-seller relations, and, finally, the incidence of ''oblique marketing'' whereby the customer (the airline) is approached by suppliers, thereby by-passing the airframe manufacturer (the original equipment manufacturer) in order to ensure their equipment is specified in the delivery of the final airplane order.