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Airbus Announces Plant In Mobile With 1,000 New Jobs
July 2, 2012
In a major strategic announcement today, Airbus said it will establish a manufacturing facility in the United States to assemble and deliver A320 Family aircraft. Located at the Brookley Aeroplex in Mobile it will be the company’s first U.S.-based production facility providing about 1,000 jobs.
Airbus stressed that the assembly line, which will create jobs and strengthen the aerospace industry, is part of its strategy to enhance Airbus’ global competitiveness by meeting the growing needs of its customers in the United States and elsewhere.
The facility in Alabama will assemble the industry-leading family of A319, A320 and A321 aircraft. The company said construction of the assembly line will begin in summer 2013. Aircraft assembly is planned to start in 2015, with first deliveries from the Mobile facility beginning in 2016. Airbus anticipates the facility will produce between 40 and 50 aircraft per year by 2018.
“The time is right for Airbus to expand in America,” said Fabrice Brégier, Airbus President & CEO at the announcement today in Mobile. “The U.S. is the largest single-aisle aircraft market in the world – with a projected need for 4,600 aircraft over the next 20 years – and this assembly line brings us closer to our customers. Mobile is now becoming part of Airbus’ global production network, joining our successful and growing assembly lines in Hamburg, Toulouse and Tianjin.
“When Airbus aircraft take to the skies, our pride and workmanship will soar along with them,” Alabama Governor Robert Bentley said. “We owe thanks to so many people who helped make this effort a success. This project will create 1,000 stable, well-paying jobs that the people of this area need and deserve. Alabama has the best workforce you’ll find anywhere in the U.S. Airbus has recognized all that this state can offer expanding industries, and the company is making a significant new investment in Alabama. Airbus and its parent company, EADS, have been great citizens of Alabama for years now, and we are excited to build on our wonderful relationship.”
Airbus already has a strong and growing presence in Alabama and throughout the United States. In Alabama, the company operates an Engineering Center in Mobile – also located at Brookley Aeroplex and employing more than 200 engineers and support staff – as well as an Airbus Military customer services operation supporting U.S. Coast Guard aircraft. In addition, Airbus operates an Engineering Center in Wichita, Kansas; an aircraft Spares Center in Ashburn, Virginia; a Training Center in Miami, Florida, and a regulatory and government liaison office in Washington, D.C. Subsidiary Metron Aviation, a leading provider of advanced Air Traffic Management (ATM) products and services, is based in Dulles, Virginia. Airbus’ headquarters for the Americas are located in Herndon, Virginia. All together, Airbus’ U.S. facilities currently employ more than 1,000 people.
The company said that the new Mobile assembly line, together with associated functions, should create as many as 1,000 new high-skilled jobs.
Airbus’ assembly line in Mobile will add to existing production capabilities by other EADS companies in the United States. For example, American Eurocopter manufactures helicopters at facilities in Columbus, Mississippi and Grand Prairie, Texas, while Cassidian Communications has an assembly plant in Temecula, California.
Airbus is the largest export customer for the U.S. aerospace industry. Since 1990, the company has spent $127 billion with U.S. suppliers – $12 billion last year alone.
Airbus partners with hundreds of US suppliers in more than 40 US states, and the company’s expenditures in the U.S. support more than 210,000 American jobs.
Airbus is the leading aircraft manufacturer with the most modern and comprehensive family of airliners on the market, ranging in capacity from 100 to more than 500 seats. Over 11,500 Airbus aircraft have been sold to more than 470 customers and operators worldwide and more than 7,200 of these have been delivered since the company first entered the market in the early seventies. Airbus is an EADS company.
Comments
11 Responses to “Airbus Announces Plant In Mobile With 1,000 New Jobs”
I don’t blame South Florida for our area not having good jobs. I blame our own elected officials. It has been this way as long as I can remember. We need to take responsibility for ourselves and change it not blame someone else.
This area has always been Republican. So if Republicans mean jobs where are they?
@bryan ” What is good for Pensacola is economicaly good for North Escambia”
What have you been drinking? What you have in North Escambia is a completely different kind of people. Most will agree we are not represented fairly by the politicians that we elect,we are treated like redheaded stepchildren,and we are not adept to having problems shoved down or throats. Call us not appreciative if you like,but trust me we will all stand together if the need arises.
To Bryan Bethea: Republican means jobs…Democrat means handouts.
Well Well Sen Patty Murray, we shall soon see if people in the cow pastures of the southern United States have enough sense to assemble an aircraft. You are not dominate because you are from the Pacific Northwest. I do hope some one has e mailed her this script.
I’m sorry CW, but the rest of Florida is home to lots of industry other than tourism. The Aerospace industry thrives between Daytona Beach and Melbourne, and Fort Lauderdale has a booming medical research industry for example. The state of Florida has been controlled by Republicans for more than 10 years. The same old “regulations” song and dance just isn’t true.
Unfortunately Florida has way too many rules and regulations to attract any jobs other than tourism. You can thank the south end of the state for that.
Hopefully 1000 good paying jobs will provide a boost to the local economy and fuel the creation of several thousand more in the area of Mobile and neighboring counties.
I hope more contracts follow for many years to come. Good luck applicants.
The powers that be here in Escambia County Florida don’t want industry. They only want low paying tourism jobs so that is what we have. Congratulations to Mobile. Maybe some crumbs from their industry will trickle over this way in spite of it all.
Mobile didn’t win this Airbus expansion by being afraid to invest public money in building up the city, including the beautiful new convention center downtown. For far too long residents in Escambia County have turned up their noses at ‘progress’. The same can be said of north end residents who scoff at the mere mention of development ‘down south’. What’s good for Pensacola economically is good in direct proportion to northern Escambia county. Mobile has the transportation links (I-65, I-10) and support to spend public money going after positive progress and development. Remember the idea of extending I-110 northward to meet up with I-65? Why hasn’t that been done yet, even if it’s built as a toll road? Pensacola’s recent downtown renaissance is a positive development but it has a long way to go before it’s in the same class as Mobile in terms of its ability to attract and support real industry.
I hope some of our local businesses such as masland, alto etc can get some contracts from this.. This is really great for our area at a time when we really need it..
Isn’t it amazing what a difference what a few miles can make. Neither the State of Florida nor Escambia County would have pursued a great under taking for as many years as the elected officials there did. Even when people questioned why they doing this, they stuck to the goal. Others should see when you put your citizens you represent first and not what you personally can gain from a project how much can be accomplished. Guess that is why the auto industry, ship building and other big projects came to Alabama.