Delta scolded for buying Airbus

NBC News reported that President Trump, during a meeting with airline officials Monday, scolded U.S.-based Delta Air Lines, whose CEO was not in attendance, for buying billions of dollars worth of planes from Europe-based Airbus, while Qatar Airways is buying jets from Chicago-based Boeing. The comment raised eyebrows, since many Airbus jetliners are built in the United States by American workers. Airbus has an A320 assembly line in Mobile, Ala., and is building a second assembly line for A220 passenger jets. Delta, which also buys Boeing aircraft, is one of Airbus' big customers. In response to Mobile media requests for comment, Airbus in a statement said "We are proud to have Airbus aircraft flying for 13 U.S. airlines, and to manufacture many of those aircraft in Mobile, Ala., where work continues on our second large aircraft assembly line. With our hundreds of U.S. suppliers accounting for 40 percent of all Airbus’ aircraft-related procurement, every customer who invests in Airbus is investing in U.S. manufacturing and supporting American jobs." A few days before the meeting at which Trump made his remarks, Airbus announced it was delivering Delta’s 50th made-in-Alabama jetliner. That was out of 130 the plant had delivered overall. (Sources: WPMI, al.com, 07/30/19) Meanwhile, Airbus is continuing its push to hire workers for the new A220 plant. Airbus recently held job fairs in North Carolina. The company is reaching out into key hubs for aviation professionals and technical professionals. (Source: Spectrumlocalnews, 07/30/19)