Wednesday, October 29, 2014

First Mobile jetliner will be A321

The first jetliner that will come out of the Airbus final assembly line in Mobile, Ala., will be an A321 rather than an A320 as originally planned. That's what Airbus Americas President Barry Eccleston told an audience in Seattle Tuesday. The move reflects the rising demand for the bigger jet. It will be an A321ceo, or “current engine option,” and it will roll out in April 2016. In the year through September, Airbus has booked 311 gross orders for the A321, which seats about 185 in a two-class configuration but up to 220 for economy carriers. (Source: Reuters, 10/28/14) The Mobile plant will open in the fall of 2015 and eventually produce four to five A320 family planes a month.