Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has skills to build Airbus wings: CEO

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd <7011.T> is confident that it has the technical and production know-how to build high-tech wings for Airbus SE <AIR.PA> jetliners, the chief executive of the Japanese conglomerate said on Wednesday.

MHI developed sophisticated production processes at its facility in Nagoya in the process of building wings for the Boeing Co <BA.N> 787 Dreamliner, Chief Executive Seiji Izumisawa said in an interview.

"We have accumulated expertise in producing aerostructures as a tier 1 supplier, so if the opportunity does present itself we will certainly be willing to consider it," he said.

It is not yet clear whether Airbus plans to outsource wings on future jets, such as its next-generation single-aisle aircraft, which could come out in about a decade.

Such future work would be important to MHI in part because of Boeing's decision to bring wing production back in-house on its latest jet, the 777X.

"We do have the capability to produce some pretty complicated components," said Izumisawa, who said he was involved in developing the 787 wings.

(Reporting by Alwyn Scott; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)