Airbus delivers 12,000th plane

Airbus marked the delivery of the 12,000th aircraft in its 50-year history Monday. The A220-100, assembled in Mirabel, Canada, was delivered to U.S.-based Delta Air Lines. It's the 12th A220 delivered so far to Delta since the carrier received its first A220 in October 2018. The A220 started scheduled service with Delta in February 2019. Delta is the first U.S. airline to operate the A220 and the largest A220 customer, with a firm order for 90 aircraft. Since Airbus and Bombardier finalized an arrangement for Airbus to lead the A220 program July 1, 2018, ground was broken in January this year in Mobile, Ala., for the construction of a second A220 final assembly line. It will deliver its first jetliner to U.S. customers in 2020. Airbus delivered its first aircraft, an A300B2 to Air France, in 1974. In 2010, Airbus handed over its 6,000th aircraft, 36 years after its first. It took Airbus nine years to double that number, reaching 12,000th Airbus aircraft delivery. (Source: Airbus, 05/20/19) Previous