Airbus to Build Planes in Alabama

“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, Alabama, it will be the company’s first U.S.-based production facility.”

“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.”, said Fabrice Brégier, Airbus President & CEO at the announcement today in Mobile.

“Closer to our customer”, I don’t buy it, they are planes not fridges or cars; they can be delivered anywhere in the world. Perhaps it has to do more with he the labor costs that will be lower in Alabama a right to work state than in Germany or France. Already Airbus unions have expressed concern about European jobs lost to the U.S., and the unemployment rate in Europe is higher than in the States (it rose to 11.1 per cent in May, the highest since the euro was launched in 1999, however they have free health care and generous social benefits over there so it isn’t such a big deal as an 8.2 per cent unemployment rate in the U.S.).

The other A320 Family final assembly lines are at Toulouse, France headquarters location; in Hamburg, Germany; and at Tianjin, China.

Only hours after the announcement an A320 from the JetBlue Airways (the largest A320 operator worldwide fleet), landed on Mobile Downtown Airport’s main runway at the Brookley Aeroplex, and was parked where Airbus’ new facility will be built.