Airbus has inaugurated its second modernised A320 family final assembly line at the Jean-Luc Lagardère facility in Toulouse, reinforcing its plans to increase single-aisle aircraft production.

The opening ceremony was hosted by Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury and Lars Wagner, CEO Commercial Aircraft at Airbus, with French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot among those attending.

“Bringing this new A320 Family production line to life right here in Toulouse is a proud moment for all of us and a great achievement by our Commercial Aircraft teams,” says Faury. “This facility provides the necessary flexibility and capacity to meet strong market demand, especially for the A321neo, and supports our production ramp-up trajectory towards 75 A320 family aircraft a month. Operating in coordination with our assembly sites in Hamburg, Mobile and Tianjin, this advanced line is part of our commitment to deliver aircraft of the highest quality standards to our customers globally.”

The facility forms part of Airbus’ strategy to establish ten operational A320 family final assembly lines worldwide in 2026. The network comprises four lines in Hamburg, two in Mobile, two in Tianjin and two in Toulouse.

Built within the former A380 Jean-Luc Lagardère facility, the line combines digital production controls, automated logistics systems and robotic technologies designed to improve manufacturing efficiency and workstation ergonomics while maximising the existing footprint.

The first Toulouse line, opened in 2023, already employs around 700 people. As the second line progressively reaches full output, the total workforce at the site is expected to rise to nearly 1,500 employees.

Airbus continues to target a production rate of between 70 and 75 A320 family aircraft per month by the end of 2027, stabilising at rate 75 thereafter. At the end of May, the programme backlog stood at 7,499 aircraft, including 5,615 A321neo orders.