Having recently celebrated a decade of commercial aircraft production in Alabama, Airbus is today marking another milestone — the inauguration of its second A320 Final Assembly Line (FAL) at the Mobile manufacturing facility.
The new line, which adds 350,000 square feet of manufacturing, office and logistics space, is a key part of Airbus’ strategy to accelerate production of A320 Family aircraft to meet its global industrial ramp-up targets.
“To reach a monthly production rate of 75 A320 Family aircraft in 2027, we have developed a resilient, efficient, and globally diversified network, and with the launch of this second line, Mobile’s production capacity for the A320 Family is effectively doubled,” Airbus Commercial Aircraft CEO Christian Scherer said at the newly built FAL, where he and other members of the Airbus executive leadership gathered with employees, elected officials, customers and community leaders to celebrate the event.
“In addition, we believe in operating in close proximity to our American partners, whose trust we appreciate and whose customers we value.”
A critical contributor to the American economy, Airbus started manufacturing commercial aircraft in the southern Alabama city in September 2015. Seven months later, the first ever delivery of an aircraft from the Mobile manufacturing facility took place with the handover of an A321 twinjet to JetBlue Airways.
Since then, the European airframer has greatly expanded its footprint in Mobile, including to accommodate the 2020 addition of a Final Assembly Line for the A220. To date, it has delivered a total 600 aircraft to customers in the U.S. and Latin America. Of note, it delivered its 100th Alabama-produced A220 in late July.
“In addition to the third final assembly line, the latest expansion includes more than a million square feet of double bay hangars to support A320 aircraft production, quad-bay hangars to support A220 aircraft production, additional paint shops, a new distribution center, expansion of the facility’s existing transhipment hangar and delivery center and construction of a new welcome center,” Airbus explained in a statement. “The project adds approximately 1,000 jobs and doubles the size of the U.S. Manufacturing Facility.”
Today, the Mobile site employs more than 2,000 people, and that is trending towards roughly 3,000 with this expansion. Robust apprenticeships are offered via Flight Works Alabama.
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey believes Airbus’ success in Mobile is a testament to what can happen when a world-class company teams up with a world-class workforce. “Over the past 10 years, Airbus has helped elevate Alabama’s position in the aerospace industry while creating life-changing opportunities for our people,” she said last month when the Mobile facility celebrated its ten-year anniversary.
To her point, some Airbus suppliers have indeed expanded operations in the region to support the airframer’s ramp. Aircraft painting and exterior coating specialist MAAS Aviation, for example, opened its first paint shop in Mobile in 2015, employing just 20 people. Today there are almost 100 team members, and this number is expected to grow to 150-plus over the next three years, the firm said today as it announced a five-year extension to its agreement with Airbus for the painting of A320 and A220 aircraft in Mobile.
Now, as Airbus inaugurates its second A320 FAL in Mobile, Governor Ivey said: “Airbus continues to be a flying force in aerospace manufacturing, and no doubt, the opening of the third Final Assembly Line in Mobile further solidifies that. Alabama is a top state for doing business and our tremendous partners like Airbus prove that to be true. I am proud our Airbus workforce in Mobile continues delivering for this great company and for the aerospace industry around the globe.”
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Featured image credited to Airbus
