Airbus’s newest final assembly line has delivered its first aircraft, with US carrier Jetblue accepting an A321 –named BluesMobile – from the manufacturer’s new Mobile, Alabama facility on Monday.
Mobile is one of four Airbus final assembly lines alongside Toulouse, Hamburg and Tianjin, China.
The facility is expected to reach a delivery rate of four A320 Family aircraft a month by the end of 2017, Airbus says. There are currently nine aircraft in various stages of final assembly at Mobile, which can handle both the current engine option (ceo) and new engine option (neo) versions of the A320 series.
“I am immensely proud to be here to participate in this first delivery from Mobile,” Airbus chief operating officer for customers John Leahy said in a statement.
“Going from breaking ground on this facility three years ago to handing over the first Alabama-produced A321 today is an amazing accomplishment.”
The Mobile plant was officially opened in September 2015.
Airbus also has defence, engineering and helicopter facilities and training centres located at various sites across the United States.
