New Assembly Line In Mobile

By: Bruce Brandon

The airline aircraft business is booming, and Airbus is expanding its manufacturing facilities and looking for workers to man them to meet the unprecedented demand for transport aircraft. Its current major expansion is at Mobile, AL where it is adding a new assembly line for the A220 to its A320 line.

The A220 was originally a Bombardier Aerospace CSeries aircraft that was redesignated the A220 after Airbus purchased 50.1% of Bombardier in 2018. Airbus took the decision to build a new assembly line in Mobile because of both the attractiveness of conducting business in AL and the recent developments in the tariff issues.

The new final assembly line will be fully operational in a year, in a need for approximately 600 new employees. These include mechanics, avionics technicians, and other assembly personnel. There is also a need for engineers, inspectors, account managers, financial analysts, IT, administrative and other support personnel.

Airbus is also willing to train some of its new employees. It has a “fast track” program that will train new hires with little or no experience. Airbus states that it has a very competitive pay scale and benefits including medical, dental and vision insurance. It also has a matching 401k program, bonus program, retirement savings program and other benefits.

There are many Airbus North America subsidiaries in the U.S. in addition to the Mobile assembly lines and there are job openings at many of them as well. Each subsidiary has its own set of compensation and benefit packages.

One subsidiary is located in Columbus, MS where Airbus Helicopters is located. While not hiring as many personnel, is looking to hire sheet metal workers. The majority of the current jobs are located in Mobile. Airbus is quick to point out the advantages of living there. These include, low cost of living, a plethora of water activities, the possibility of living in Florida which is next door with no state income tax, and the options of living in an urban, beach, river/bay waterfront or rural farming area.

Alabama is a right to work state. Airbus is the first to acknowledge that their workers have the right to form unions but have not done so. It is proactive in engaging its workers on issues that are important to them and allows workers to have large inputs in how things are done.

It’s a good time to be a large aircraft manufacturer. Airbus, along with Boeing, is uniquely positioned to capitalize on this and needs good employees.

FMI: www.airbus.com
www.airbus.com/us/en/helicopters.html/careers/index.asp