As part of a strategy to make 63 A320 family aircraft each month in 2021, Airbus announced that the company would expand its footprint in the U.S. by increasing the production rate of aircraft in its Airbus U.S. Manufacturing Facility in Mobile, Alabama, to seven per month from the start of next year. This growth, and continued recruitment for the A220 manufacturing group, will lead to a further 275 jobs added in the Alabama-based facility during the following year.
The statement adds to enormous growth for Airbus in 2019, when the company added 600 new jobs in the Alabama manufacturing site. The corporation’s $40 million investment is to get an extra support hangar on the website, bringing its total investment to over $1 billion in the Gulf Coast city.
“Airbus has been manufacturing in the U.S. for several years now through our helicopter, aircraft, and satellite solutions.
This growth in commercial aircraft manufacturing in Mobile is an exciting expansion of our significant industrial investment in the U.S., and it proceeds Airbus’ positive contribution to American aerospace,” said Airbus Americas Chairman and CEO C. Jeffrey Knittel. “We have spent over $1 billion in Mobile due to the terrific group of workers there — and due to the welcome and support, we continue to get in the Gulf Coast community and State and Congressional leaders such as Senator Richard Shelby, who has been with us in the start.
We look forward to building on that strong relationship with our neighbors. This goes past jobs to include our support of education initiatives and future workforce development, which will positively impact the community for decades to come across the Gulf Coast.
The Airbus operations in Mobile are a part of an extensive Airbus existence in the U.S., where roughly 4,000 people are employed at 38 locations in 16 states. Along with the Mobile manufacturing center, Airbus has an engineering center in Kansas, training centers in Florida and Colorado, materials support and headquarters in Virginia, a “think tank” in California, a drone data-analysis company in Georgia, helicopter manufacturing and assembly facilities in Texas and Mississippi, along with a satellite production facility in Florida. Collectively, the business has spent almost $50 billion in the U.S. in the previous three years with over 450 U.S. providers, supporting more than 275,000 American jobs.
The partnership between Airbus and the Gulf Coast community started 15 years ago this year when Airbus Defense & Space was launched in 2005 in Mobile to support operators of their C212 and CN235 tactical transfers with maintenance, repair, and overhaul services and technical assistance. Airbus opened an engineering center in Mobile in 2007, a center that’s currently home to 220 engineers and support staff. The center’s first focus on cabin engineering and A350 XWB design work have expanded to include design, engineering, and support of almost all of Airbus’ commercial aircraft merchandise.
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