Airbus just opened its A220 factory in Alabama that was originally intended to help avoid US tariffs on the plane, and JetBlue will be the first customer

Thomas PalliniMay 27, 2020, 19:07 IST

The first Bombardier CSeries aircraft in its new Airbus colors.Regis Duvignau/Reuters

Airbus has opened its A220 final assembly line in Mobile, Alabama, where parts will be pieced together to form the finished flyable product.
Construction began in 2019 following a vow by Airbus to produce the aircraft in the US after a trade dispute between Boeing and Bombardier saw Airbus take a majority stake in the program.
JetBlue Airways will be among the first customers to receive an A220 from the new final assembly line.

Airbus has established yet another foothold in the US with the completion of a new production plant for the Airbus A220 in Mobile, Alabama.

Officially opened on May 19, the facility on the grounds of Mobile Downtown Airport will house a final assembly line for the jet, piecing together parts shipped from around the world to create an airplane. The plant sits adjacent to Airbus' A320 family final assembly line, where A319, A320, and A321s are completed and delivered to US customers.

JetBlue Airways will be among the first recipients of a US-assembled Airbus A220, scheduled for later this year as part of a fleet renewal. Delta Air Lines will also see more of its order for nearly 100 of the type come from Mobile, just 300 miles from its Atlanta headquarters.

Airbus first announced plans for the US-based facility when taking over the A220 program, then the C Series, from Bombardier. The Canadian manufacturer was staring down a near-300% tariff on the jet after receiving a later-overturned ruling from the US government following a dispute from competitor Boeing.

The threat of tariffs was ultimately eliminated following a subsequent ruling from the government but Airbus remained the majority shareholder of the program and construction of the facility began in 2019.

Take a look at the new plant.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Airbus first broke ground on the new plant in January 2019 and its opening inaugurated it as the ninth final assembly line in the European manufacturer's global production operation.

Groundbreaking at Airbus' new A220 plant in Mobile. TIM HEPHER/Reuters

Airbus first broke ground on the new plant in January 2019 and its opening inaugurated it as the ninth final assembly line in the European manufacturer's global production operation.

The Mobile plant first opened in 2015, the first North American facility for Airbus where A320 family aircraft bound for US airlines would be built.

Airbus' A320 final assembly line in Mobile. Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

While the buildings may look nondescript on the outside, their interiors house complex production lines that assemble multi-million dollar aircraft to major airline customers.

Airbus' A320 final assembly line in Mobile. Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

While the buildings may look nondescript on the outside, their interiors house complex production lines that assemble multi-million dollar aircraft to major airline customers.

Here's a look at the final assembly line for Airbus A320 family aircraft.

Airbus' A320 final assembly line in Mobile. Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

Different parts are shipped here from Airbus' global supply chain and the final pieces are assembled. Hence, the facilities are known as final assembly lines or FALs.

Airbus' A320 final assembly line in Mobile. Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

Airbus previously only assembled three types of aircraft here including the Airbus A319,

An American Airlines Airbus A319. Markus Mainka / Shutterstock.com

Airbus A320,

An Alaska Airlines Airbus A320. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

And Airbus A321.

A JetBlue Airways Airbus A321. Philip Pilosian / Shutterstock.com

The cavernous buildings are lined with cranes that transport the sections from station to station to be completed in the same assembly line style pioneered by Henry Ford over 100 years ago to build Model Ts.

Airbus' A320 final assembly line in Mobile. Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

The cavernous buildings are lined with cranes that transport the sections from station to station to be completed in the same assembly line style pioneered by Henry Ford over 100 years ago to build Model Ts.

The planes assembled in this facility are destined for US airlines, with customers including nearly every airline in the country.

Airbus' A320 final assembly line in Mobile. Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

Airbus estimates by the end of 2020, five A320 family planes will be assembled here per month.

Airbus' A320 final assembly line in Mobile. Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

Airbus typically opens FALs in regions with high customer bases with other locations including at Airbus headquarters in Toulouse, France, and also Tianjin, China; Hamburg Germany; and Mirabel, Quebec. The Mirabel facility is the only other A220 FAL, formerly of Bombardier.

Airbus' A320 final assembly line in Mobile. Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

Airbus typically opens FALs in regions with high customer bases with other locations including at Airbus headquarters in Toulouse, France, and also Tianjin, China; Hamburg Germany; and Mirabel, Quebec. The Mirabel facility is the only other A220 FAL, formerly of Bombardier.

While awaiting construction of a dedicated facility, Airbus began producing A220s in Mobile in 2019 but on the assembly line used by the A320 family jets.

Airbus' A320 final assembly line in Mobile. Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

Less than two years after breaking ground on the facility, the A220 final assembly line was opened on May 19.

Airbus' A220 final assembly line in Mobile. Tad Denson - Airwind.com/Airbus

JetBlue Airways will take delivery of its first Airbus A220 from here later this year, with the airline placing a 60 aircraft order for the larger A220-300 in 2018.

A JetBlue Airways Airbus A220 rendering. Airbus

The next-generation jet will replace its Embraer E190 planes due to begin retirement in 2020.

A JetBlue Embraer E190 aircraft. Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto/Getty

JetBlue is the third North American recipient of the aircraft following Delta Air Lines,

A Delta Air Lines Airbus A220. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

And Air Canada.

An Air Canada Airbus A220 aircraft. Air Canada

A220s for David Neeleman's new airline, Breeze Airways, will also likely be built here.

A rendering of a Breeze Airbus A220-300 Breeze

With two final assembly lines, the aircraft families will be produced side by side. For the A220, it will be a Canadian aircraft with a European name being built in America.

Airbus' A220 final assembly line in Mobile. Tad Denson - Airwind.com/Airbus

With two final assembly lines, the aircraft families will be produced side by side. For the A220, it will be a Canadian aircraft with a European name being built in America.

The A220's wings will be shipped to Mobile, perfectly situated on the Gulf of Mexico, from Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Bombardier CSeries Production in Belfast, Northern Ireland. CLODAGH KILCOYNE/Reuters

While the cockpit and rear fuselage would be produced in Saint-Laurent, Quebec.

A Bombardier CSeries aircraft in production in Mirabel. Tim Hepher/Reuters

The completion of the Mobile FAL is a milestone for Airbus but not for Bombardier, the original manufacturer for the A220, originally known as the Bombardier CSeries.

A Bombardier CSeries aircraft. Christinne Muschi/Reuters

Just a few years after Airbus and Bombardier inked the deal that saved the CSeries by putting it under the Airbus umbrella, the Canadian manufacturer couldn't keep up and backed out of the deal, leaving Airbus and the Quebec government as the sole owners.

An Airbus A320neo and Bombardier CSeries aircraft. Regis Duvignau/Reuters

Just a few years after Airbus and Bombardier inked the deal that saved the CSeries by putting it under the Airbus umbrella, the Canadian manufacturer couldn't keep up and backed out of the deal, leaving Airbus and the Quebec government as the sole owners.

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Airbus just opened its A220 factory in Alabama that was originally intended to help avoid US tariffs on the plane, and JetBlue will be the first customer

Airbus first broke ground on the new plant in January 2019 and its opening inaugurated it as the ninth final assembly line in the European manufacturer's global production operation.

The Mobile plant first opened in 2015, the first North American facility for Airbus where A320 family aircraft bound for US airlines would be built.

While the buildings may look nondescript on the outside, their interiors house complex production lines that assemble multi-million dollar aircraft to major airline customers.

Here's a look at the final assembly line for Airbus A320 family aircraft.

Different parts are shipped here from Airbus' global supply chain and the final pieces are assembled. Hence, the facilities are known as final assembly lines or FALs.

Airbus previously only assembled three types of aircraft here including the Airbus A319,

Airbus A320,

And Airbus A321.

The cavernous buildings are lined with cranes that transport the sections from station to station to be completed in the same assembly line style pioneered by Henry Ford over 100 years ago to build Model Ts.

The planes assembled in this facility are destined for US airlines, with customers including nearly every airline in the country.

Airbus estimates by the end of 2020, five A320 family planes will be assembled here per month.

Airbus typically opens FALs in regions with high customer bases with other locations including at Airbus headquarters in Toulouse, France, and also Tianjin, China; Hamburg Germany; and Mirabel, Quebec. The Mirabel facility is the only other A220 FAL, formerly of Bombardier.

While awaiting construction of a dedicated facility, Airbus began producing A220s in Mobile in 2019 but on the assembly line used by the A320 family jets.

Less than two years after breaking ground on the facility, the A220 final assembly line was opened on May 19.

JetBlue Airways will take delivery of its first Airbus A220 from here later this year, with the airline placing a 60 aircraft order for the larger A220-300 in 2018.

The next-generation jet will replace its Embraer E190 planes due to begin retirement in 2020.

JetBlue is the third North American recipient of the aircraft following Delta Air Lines,

And Air Canada.

A220s for David Neeleman's new airline, Breeze Airways, will also likely be built here.

With two final assembly lines, the aircraft families will be produced side by side. For the A220, it will be a Canadian aircraft with a European name being built in America.

The A220's wings will be shipped to Mobile, perfectly situated on the Gulf of Mexico, from Belfast, Northern Ireland.

While the cockpit and rear fuselage would be produced in Saint-Laurent, Quebec.

The completion of the Mobile FAL is a milestone for Airbus but not for Bombardier, the original manufacturer for the A220, originally known as the Bombardier CSeries.

Just a few years after Airbus and Bombardier inked the deal that saved the CSeries by putting it under the Airbus umbrella, the Canadian manufacturer couldn't keep up and backed out of the deal, leaving Airbus and the Quebec government as the sole owners.