Airbus delivers first U.S.-assembled A220
The built and delivered aircraft from the company’s Mobile, Alabama, facility indicates Airbus’ growing industrial footprint in North American markets.
Photo Credit: Airbus
Airbus (Toulouse, France) reported on Oct. 22 that it delivered its first U.S.-assembled A220 aircraft from its commercial aircraft production facility in Mobile, Alabama, underlining the aircraft manufacturer’s role as a global aircraft producer and heralding the arrival of a new era in Airbus aircraft production in the United States. The aircraft was delivered to Delta Air Lines, currently the largest A220 customer.
“The delivery of the first U.S.-built A220-300 is a historic moment that highlights Airbus’ growing industrial footprint in North America and makes us all proud,” says C. Jeffrey Knittel, chairman and CEO Airbus Americas, Inc. “We look forward to seeing passengers delighted by the experience of traveling on board this brand new A220-300 proudly built in Mobile, Alabama.”
According to Airbus, several milestones led up to this moment. From the groundbreaking of the Mobile A220 final assembly line in January 2019, through the official start of A220 production in August 2019, and the inaugural flight of this aircraft in June, the A220 teams in Mirabel (Quebec) and Mobile worked closely together to make the A220 production in the U.S. a success.
“Handing over the first U.S-assembled aircraft to a U.S.-based customer is a real point of pride for the A220 program,” says Philippe Balducchi, leading the A220 program. “This delivery is the first of many to come and shows the strong collaborative spirit between the A220 program teams globally.”
To date, it is said that approximately 400 U.S. employees have been trained on A220 production — some in Mirabel, Quebec, Canada, where the A220 program and primary final assembly line are located. A year ago, the first U.S. based A220 production team, comprised of experienced and new team members, began assembling A220s in Mobile.
As of the end of September 2020, says Airbus, 123 A220s have been delivered to seven operators and are being flown on routes in Asia, America, Europe and Africa, proving the great versatility of Airbus’ latest family member.
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