Airbus recently announced that it will increase the production rate of the A320 family aircraft at its manufacturing facility in Mobile, Alabama. The increase, which is part of the company’s plan to produce 63 A320 family aircraft per month in 2021, will result in an additional 275 jobs at the plant over the next year. Airbus will also invest another $40 million through construction of a support hangar on the site, bringing its total investment in Mobile to more than $1 billion.
“This increase in commercial aircraft production in Mobile is an exciting expansion of our significant industrial investment in the U.S., and it continues Airbus’ positive contribution to American aerospace,” said C. Jeffrey Knittel, Airbus Americas chairman and CEO.
Airbus’ announcement comes on the heels of considerable growth in 2019, when the company added 600 new jobs at the manufacturing site. With plans already in place for production of four A220 aircraft per month in Mobile by the middle of the decade, Airbus is on track to produce more than 130 aircraft in Mobile each year for its airline customers.
Mobile became home to Airbus’ first U.S.-based commercial aircraft manufacturing plant in 2015. Over the last five years, the facility has grown from an initial workforce of around 250 producing A320 family aircraft to more than 1,000 building A220 and A320 family aircraft in 2019. By the end of 2020, that number is expected to be around 1,300.
In addition to its operations in Mobile, Airbus has an extensive presence throughout the United States, employing approximately 4,000 people at 38 locations in 16 states.
For more information, visit www.airbus.com.