Mobile’s second Airbus final assembly line has not yet turned out a single aircraft, but the order book for the jet it will build keeps growing.
Airbus announced Wednesday that Delta Air Lines has ordered 15 more A220s, bringing the carrier’s total commitment to 90 aircraft to be built for the airline.
“We look forward to taking our first A220-300 in 2020 at the Airbus assembly facility in Mobile, Alabama,” said Gil West, Delta’s chief operating officer.
Construction and Hiring Both Ramping Up
Construction on the A220 assembly line is scheduled to begin next week. Airbus said it will start hiring this week for several skilled positions tied to the program, including aircraft structure and installation mechanics, installers for aircraft cabin furnishings, and aircraft electricians.
The A220 line is the second final assembly line Airbus has established at its Mobile campus, following the A320 family line that opened earlier and made the city one of a small group of places worldwide assembling major commercial aircraft.