Airbus awards contract

Airbus has selected Birmingham, Ala.'s Hoar Program Management (HPM) to manage design and construction of the $600 million aircraft assembly plant that will be built in Mobile, Ala. Construction of the plant, which will assemble A320 aircraft at Brookley Aeroplex and employ about 1,000 workers, is expected to begin this summer. The first aircraft will be delivered in 2016. HPM has offices in Birmingham, Huntsville and Mobile, Ala.; Houston, Texas; Nashville, Tenn.; Tampa, Fla.; and Charlotte, N.C. (Sources: AL.com story, Airbus press release, 02/01/13)