Airbus has formally opened its second A320-family final assembly line at its US plant in Mobile.
The airframer’s latest assembly facility is part of its effort to raise monthly production of A320neo-family jets to 75 in 2027.
Airbus inaugurated its first Mobile A320 line in 2015 – delivering the first aircraft the following year – and it subsequently extended the plant’s capabilities to include an A220 line in 2019.
City of Mobile director of external and government affairs Stephen McNair says the “grand opening” of a second A320 line on 13 October marks an “incredible day”.
Airbus’s North America chief, Robin Hayes, had stated in September that the second line was on course to start operating in October.
The airframer’s combined assembly facilities in Toulouse, Hamburg, Mobile and Tianjin delivered a total of 454 single-aisle aircraft in the first nine months of this year.
These comprised 392 A320neo-family jets and 62 A220s.
Aircraft painting specialist MAAS Aviation has also extended its contract with Airbus for painting A320-family and A220 jets in Mobile.
The company says the agreement – extended for five years – supports the single-aisle ramp-up.
MAAS’s facility has increased to five dedicated paint bays and is capable of painting up to 200 aircraft per year.
