Airbus Defense And Space Celebrates Tenth Anniversary Of Company's Presence In Mobile

Airbus Defense and Space has selected Airbus DS Military Aircraft in Mobile, AL as the new worldwide support center for the C212 aircraft series, which includes the 100, 200, 300 and 400 variants.

Celebrating its tenth anniversary in Mobile, Airbus DS Military Aircraft Inc. continues to increase its service and support capabilities in repair and overhaul of various Airbus aircraft and components. With a large customer base both in military and civil operations, North and South America are collectively home to the largest C212 fleet in the world.

Airbus DS Military Aircraft Inc. offers complete maintenance, repair and overhaul services, extensive material services, professional engineering, and technical support for transport aircraft. Its 50-person Mobile operation provides operators of the C212 and CN235 tactical transports with the capabilities of a certified FAA and European Aviation Safety Agency repair station.

Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson participated in the anniversary celebration to express his congratulations. "Airbus is one of our most valued corporate citizens, and it was my pleasure to congratulate this team on ten productive years in Mobile," he said. "We're proud of our relationship with Airbus and the great work they do in Mobile."

Also speaking at the ceremony were Mobile County Commissioner Connie Hudson, U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Tom McDonald and Roger Wehner of the Mobile Airport Authority.

"This celebration is an opportunity to thank our Mobile workforce for a decade of excellence, and to showcase our new support services that will improve our overall operations in Mobile," said Juan Uriarte, head of Airbus DS Military Aircraft Inc. "With the establishment here of the new C212 Aircraft Series Worldwide Support Center, we have centralized more resources into this location to provide faster service for our customers."

The C212 transport aircraft was designed to operate in austere environments for extended periods of time, without the need for ground support equipment. It is able to carry up to 25 people or a 6,200 pound max payload. In 35 years of reliable operations the C212 has become the market leader in service with military, government and civil operators.

Last year, the company opened a new 7,500-square-foot component repair facility, expanding on its 30,000-square-foot maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) delivery center. The component repair facility is yet another industrial resource to improve customer service for the company's medium and light multi-mission aircraft operators. The services include hydraulic, avionics, composite and structural repairs; painting; component exchange; and highly skilled engineering support.

Certain capabilities at the repair facility may support the U.S manufacturing facility for Airbus A320 Family aircraft, currently under construction in Mobile. This is the first major manufacturing facility for Airbus in the United States, and represents a $600 million investment in the Gulf Coast region. The U.S manufacturing facility will ultimately employ hundreds of highly skilled workers and is scheduled to deliver its first aircraft in 2016.

FMI: www.airbus.com