Hall 9: the home straight at Airbus Hamburg

This is where single-aisle Airbus construction in Hamburg really starts becoming interesting. Hall 9 houses a line at Finkenwerder where the main sections of the aircraft are brought together for final assembly, a process which begins... 

 ...here at Station 41 where fuselage components arrive for preliminary inspection, and where the checklist covers galleys, lavatories, floor panels, electrical equipment, cockpit linings and similar installations. Pictured is A321 MSN3636, bound for Qatar Airways via lessor CIT. Behind it, mostly obscured, is A319 MSN3634 for EasyJet, whose wings have already been moved up to... 

 ...Station 40, at which point the aircraft receives not only its wings but its landing-gear and engine pylons. Electrical power-on is performed here. But this A321 (MSN3633) for US Airways doesn't have its horizontal and vertical stabilisers or tail-cone because they're still sitting... 

 ...here, a few metres further along in the assembly line, and won't be attached until the aircraft reaches... 

 ...Station 35, where the final primary structures - such as the radome, inner flaps, and landing-gear doors as well as the auxiliary power unit and fuel system - are fitted. Hydraulic power-on takes place here, too. This A320's tail-fin gives away the customer as Aeroflot, although the airframe (MSN3631) is for GECAS. Each aircraft spends about three days at each station in the final assembly line. Just ahead of the Aeroflot aircraft, and virtually on its way out... 

 ...is this Lufthansa A321 (MSN3625) which is ready to receive its engines and the last furnishings ahead of painting, test flights and customer acceptance. From Station 40, the time to delivery is about 26 days.