Airbus has selected HPM as program manager for the design and construction of a new A220 final assembly line at its Mobile manufacturing campus, a milestone in the company’s expansion at Brookley Aeroplex. The Birmingham-based firm will also oversee work to expand Airbus’ existing A320 family production facilities on the site to handle increased output.
As program manager, HPM will coordinate procurement of construction service providers and supplies alongside the Mobile Airport Authority and Airbus. Site work tied to both the A320 expansion and the new A220 line is already underway, with construction of the main A220 flow line building expected to begin in 2019.
Daryl Taylor, vice president and general manager of the Airbus U.S. Manufacturing Facility, said the company is ready to move forward on its next major U.S. industrial project. “We are ready to begin construction on Airbus’ next industrial facility in the U.S., and expand our current operations in Mobile,” Taylor said. “It will be a pleasure to work with HPM again as we continue to grow in Mobile.”
Florent Massou, head of the A220 program, said the announcement marks another step toward bringing A220 production to the United States. “This is great news and an important next step in bringing A220 production to the U.S. for our U.S.-based customers,” Massou said. “We are on track to deliver our first aircraft from Mobile in 2020.”
HPM President Mike Lanier said the firm’s relationship with Airbus in Mobile has grown considerably over the past decade. “Our continued commitment to Airbus and Mobile has expanded significantly in the last decade, and we look forward to again representing our client in Alabama’s growing aerospace sector,” Lanier said. “As the conduit between the owner and various project teams, our HPM team will serve as the point for all inquiries as it relates to opportunities to participate in design and construction.”
HPM has offices in Birmingham, Huntsville, Auburn, Mobile, Atlanta, Dallas and Tampa. The firm’s history with Airbus in Mobile stretches back to the completion of the Airbus Engineering Center in 2007, and it later served as program manager for the A320 family production facility, which was completed in 2015. HPM also currently serves as owner’s representative for Airbus Helicopters in Grand Prairie, Texas.
The new A220 program stems from a partnership between Airbus and Bombardier finalized on July 1, 2018. Under that deal, A220 aircraft will be assembled at Brookley Aeroplex, adjacent to Airbus’ existing A320 family production lines, to supply U.S.-based airline customers. Company officials have said the project will create additional jobs in the region and further cement Mobile’s role in the aerospace industry, part of Airbus’ broader strategy to strengthen its global competitiveness by meeting growing demand from U.S. customers.
Assembly of A220 aircraft is planned to begin in 2019, relying on a mix of existing and newly expanded Airbus facilities at Brookley while the permanent flow line building is completed. Airbus has said it expects to deliver the first Mobile-built A220 in 2020, once the dedicated final assembly line building is finished.