Airbus hints at potential U.S. Air Force tanker contract, announces plans for new assembly lines in Mobile

Photo: Made in Alabama

Airbus executives confirmed Monday that the aircraft manufacturer would be building a third assembly line in Mobile, Alabama.

This new line would be a new Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Mobile, the new line which is planned to start construction in 2023 and start production in early 2025 is planned to work alongside its current A320 and A220 production lines. The company also announced plans to increase A320 family production rates to 75 planes per month in 2025, above pre-pandemic levels. The company also said it would be making major modifications to their existing hanger in Mobile and adding. new paint shop.

Airbus A330 MRTT

The company also hinted that it would get a shot at a U.S. Air Force tanker contract, which would mean a fourth assembly line in Mobile. A decade ago, Boeing and Airbus competed for a U.S. Air Force tanker contract known as the KC-X, it was won by Boeing and its KC-46 tanker derived from the company’s 767. A new KC-Y contract has been anticipated as a rematch, although the Air Force keeps pointing at a modified KC-46 for its new requirements the aircraft has also been plagued by a seemingly endless series of manufacturing and design problems, some of which have had massive price tags. This news was met poorly by some U.S. Representatives who’s district’s would benefit from Airbus’s partnership with Lockheed Martin, they are pointing to the KC-46’s multitude of issues and cost overruns in a bid to give the Airbus-Lockheed venture the contract. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said that the competition between the three companies would take place. If completed this would be the first time the U.S. Air Force has ever bought Airbus-made aircraft