Airbus inaugurates second A320 Final Assembly Line in the U.S.

Today, Airbus' U.S. Manufacturing Facility in Mobile, Alabama, inaugurated its second A320 Final Assembly Line (FAL), marking the third FAL in operation at the facility that has tripled in size since Airbus started manufacturing commercial aircraft in the U.S. in 2015.

Airbus executive leadership and team members, elected officials, customers and community leaders gathered inside the newly-built FAL to celebrate the milestone for Airbus, the City of Mobile, the State of Alabama and commercial aircraft manufacturing in the U.S.

"This second A320 production line opening in the U.S. marks another major milestone in our global industrial growth strategy," Commercial Aircraft CEO Christian Scherer said. "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. In addition, we believe in operating in close proximity to our American customers and partners, whose trust we appreciate and value."

The new assembly line provides an additional 350,000 square feet of manufacturing, office and logistics space to enable the Mobile site to accelerate production to meet Airbus' global industrial ramp-up targets.

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 centre, expansion of the facility's existing transhipment hangar and delivery centre and construction of a new welcome centre. The project adds approximately 1,000 jobs and doubles the size of the U.S. Manufacturing Facility.

"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," said Governor Kay Ivey. "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."

The U.S. Manufacturing Facility's first A320 FAL was inaugurated on Sept. 14, 2015. Since then, the team in Mobile has delivered 600 aircraft to customers in the U.S. and Latin America.

Airbus employs more than 2,000 people across 2.5-million square feet of facility space at the Mobile site, which now features two A320 FALs and one A220 FAL. The A320 and A220 Families continue to see strong customer demand, recognised for delivering industry-leading benefits in fuel efficiency, cost effectiveness, and route flexibility.

Airbus is an essential part of the U.S. aerospace industry and a critical contributor to the American economy by creating local U.S. jobs, fuelling economies and strengthening the communities where it produces best-in-class aerospace products. An employer of choice for 6,000 employees working across 40 Airbus and subsidiary sites in 13 states and the District of Columbia, Airbus supports 275,000+ American jobs through annual spending of $15 billion with 2,000+ U.S. suppliers in 40 states.