The first large components for an Airbus A320-family aircraft destined for assembly in the U.S. left the port of Hamburg, Germany, on Friday, bound for Mobile, Alabama. The major component assemblies consist of the wings, produced in the UK; the rear fuselage section and tail cone, produced in Germany and Spain, respectively; the forward fuselage section, produced in France; and the cockpit, which contains parts from around the world. The horizontal and vertical stabilizers, from Spain and Germany, respectively, are also on board. Schedules call for the first aircraft--an A321ceo—to go to JetBlue in 2016.
Airbus established the Mobile plant to assemble and deliver A319s, A320s and A321s to meet growing demand for the airplanes in the U.S. and. The company’s first U.S.-based production facility, the Mobile plant will become the fourth in a network that includes assembly facilities in Toulouse, France; Hamburg, Germany; and Tianjin, China.
“This is a day of celebration as we reach another important milestone in aircraft production in the U.S.,” said Fabrice Brégier, Airbus president and CEO. “North America is one of the largest single-aisle aircraft markets in the world. This manufacturing facility brings us closer to our customers, and strengthens the aerospace industry in the U.S., Europe and around the world. Production will begin in just a few weeks, with first delivery scheduled for 2016.”
Some 200 employees, including some from Mobile now stationed in Hamburg for training, celebrated this first shipment in a ceremony held Friday to launch the cargo ship, in the presence of the U.S. Consul General in Hamburg, Nancy Corbett. The sea voyage will take approximately 20 days.