Tokyo-The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., today announced that it started shipping water/waste tanks for use in the first mass-produced A380 ultra-high capacity aircraft of Airbus. Singapore Airlines will use the aircraft. For Yokohama Rubber, this is the first shipment of its products to Airbus.

The two kinds of tanks are made with lightweight, highly strong CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic) material using numerous layers of epoxy resin-impregnated carbon fiber. These tanks are integrated into the Water & Waste System module of Monogram System Inc. of the United States and delivered to Airbus.

With 555 passenger seats, the A380 is the world? first full twin-deck, super-large aircraft scheduled to enter service in 2006 after its planned maiden flight in the spring of 2005. Airbus has already received orders for 139 A380 aircrafts. Chosen as the exclusive supplier of the water/waste tanks for the A380, Yokohama Rubber plans to begin delivering the tanks for other A380 aircrafts at a later date. An A380 uses six to eight water tanks and four waste tanks.

Yokohama Rubber is a world-class manufacturer of automotive tires and a leading company in the Japanese aircraft components industry. It manufactures and markets water tanks and lavatory modules, and a variety of other aircraft components made with rubber, metal or composite materials.