Airbus opens new assembly line for small jets – 07/10/2023 – Market

Airbus on Monday inaugurated a new assembly line for its A321neo passenger jet in Toulouse, southwest France, breathing new life into the deserted hangar where the defunct A380 superjumbo was built, while taking advantage of record demand for jets. medium-range minors.

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire visited the partially automated line inside the Jean-Luc Lagardere factory, which Airbus says will create 700 jobs by 2026, or about half the full-time total when the biggest plane world jet was built there.

The factory refurb highlights a shift in industry attention from its biggest and boldest creations, such as the double-decker A380, to robust single-aisle designs, which are enjoying a second wind due to increased range and high demand.

The A321neo is the largest version of the A320 jet series, which relaunched with new engines in 2010 just in time for a boom in demand fueled in part by low interest rates.

It is the eighth assembly line for the A320 family, with previously announced expansion plans in the United States and China, bringing the worldwide total to 10. The first aircraft is expected to be completed in late 2023 for delivery next year.

The new lineup is part of a reorganization that Airbus says will help increase total A320 family production to 75 per month by 2026 from around 45 now. Some vendors say the target is ambitious.