Airbus U.S. Manufacturing Facility Receives 50th Shipset

From zero to 50 in two years would be bad if talking about automobile acceleration, but when talking about A320 Family aircraft production in the U.S., the timing is just right. The Airbus U.S. Manufacturing Facility in Mobile has reached a key milestone as it has received the 50th shipset of major component assemblies (MCAs) just two years after taking delivery of the first shipset. The components will eventually become the 50th Airbus aircraft produced in the U.S.

“The arrival of the 50th shipset is right on time to a schedule that was created more than two years ago,” said Daryl Taylor, Vice President and General Manager of the Airbus U.S. Manufacturing Facility. “The production team here in Mobile, and our Airbus colleagues around the world, have continued to work together to ensure we keep our promises to our customers. I am proud of what we’ve achieved together.”

A shipset includes front and aft fuselage sections, a vertical and horizontal tailplane, and wings. The MCAs, which are manufactured in various facilities around Europe using parts and systems from around the world (including the U.S.), are brought together and shipped from Hamburg, Germany, to the Port of Mobile and transported by road to the Airbus U.S. Manufacturing Facility.

Since production began in 2015, Airbus has delivered 37 aircraft from Mobile to four customers: American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Jetblue and Spirit. The facility will produce four aircraft a month by the fourth quarter of 2017. In addition to Mobile, Airbus delivers A320 Family aircraft from Hamburg, Germany; Toulouse, France; and Tianjin, China.

The 50th shipset of major component assemblies for an A320 Family jetliner arrives in Alabama for assembly at the Airbus U.S. Manufacturing Facility after a sea voyage from Hamburg, Germany.