Airbus A320 US Production: What’s Next After Mobile Expansion

(MOBILE, ALABAMA) Airbus has doubled its A320 production capacity in the United States 🇺🇸 with the launch of a second Final Assembly Line in Mobile, Alabama. The move:

• Adds about 1,000 new jobs
• Expands the site by 350,000 square feet
• Positions the Gulf Coast city as a long-term anchor for aerospace manufacturing and skilled immigration pipelines

The new A320 Family line, inaugurated on October 13, 2025, brings the facility to three Final Assembly Lines and supports Airbus’s global plan to reach 75 A320 Family aircraft per month by 2027. Company officials describe the expansion as a practical step to meet orders from U.S. and international airlines while deepening local supply chains and creating stable, multiyear work for technicians, engineers, and support staff.

Mobile campus growth and facilities

The Mobile campus has grown steadily since deliveries began in 2015. What started at 116 acres with several hundred workers is now a 190-acre complex employing more than 2,000 people in 2025, with headcount set to rise further as the second line ramps up.

New and expanded facilities include:

• Double-bay hangars for A320s
• Quad-bay hangars for A220s
• New paint shops
• A distribution center
• An expanded transhipment hangar and delivery center
• A welcome center for employees and visitors

Alongside equipment upgrades, the buildout enhances logistics flow, allowing parts to move more efficiently from arrival to assembly, testing, and delivery.

Strategic rationale and global context

Airbus’s decision to scale up A320 production in Mobile reflects brisk single-aisle demand and a broader global ramp-up strategy. The company is increasing output not only in the United States but also in other regions— including new assembly capacity in Tianjin, China—aiming to hit the 75-per-month target by 2027.

Key strategic benefits:

• Better service for airline customers in North America and Latin America
• Shorter delivery times and stronger after-sales support
• A commercial hedge against production bottlenecks elsewhere

By increasing U.S.-based assembly capacity, Airbus is making a long-term commercial bet to compete more directly on delivery reliability and customer support in Boeing’s home market.

Local economic and workforce impacts

For Mobile and the wider region, the investment deepens a transformation already a decade in the making. City and state officials have promoted the area as a manufacturing corridor linking airports, seaports, technical colleges, and training programs.

The expansion influences local labor markets in several ways:

• Puts steady pressure on hiring pipelines, apprenticeships, and mid-career upskilling
• Shapes cross-border talent flows as firms recruit specialized workers
• Encourages suppliers and service firms to co-locate, creating cluster effects

Airbus’s second Final Assembly Line adds both volume and flexibility. With three lines, the company can stagger tasks, balance workloads, and reduce bottlenecks—critical for the predictable throughput A320 Family aircraft require.

Employment growth and job composition

The Mobile facility’s growth has been steady: from about 300 employees in 2015 to over 2,000 in 2025, with another ~1,000 jobs expected from the newest line as production matures.

Table: Employment and footprint highlights

For families moving into the region, the presence of steady manufacturing careers can shape housing, schooling, and transportation patterns. For local graduates, the site reinforces a clear path from classroom to career in advanced manufacturing.

Supplier network and industry clustering

As the third-party supplier network grows—covering cabin interiors, avionics support, and more—small and mid-size firms see clearer demand signals. That can justify additional hiring, training, and specialized recruitment from abroad.

• Local and regional partners have signaled interest in co-locating near the plant
• Secondary investments (warehouse space, parts distribution, maintenance testing) help form durable industry clusters
• Reliable suppliers are critical to meeting schedule and quality targets

Workforce and immigration implications

The new line’s hiring needs will draw primarily from Mobile and surrounding counties, but aerospace ramps of this size often require specialized skills that may be scarce locally, especially during early stages. Employers may recruit across state lines and, in some cases, internationally for niche roles.

“Large, long-term manufacturing expansions often intersect with lawful work pathways for in-demand experts and managers, especially during the first years of a ramp.”

For employers and workers evaluating options, the federal government outlines employment-based categories for permanent and temporary roles. Official guidance on permanent worker categories is available from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services at this page: USCIS: Permanent Workers.

Practical hiring notes:

• Most hiring will be local and regional, supported by technical colleges and on-the-job training
• Early ramp phases may rely on seasoned professionals to set standards and train teams
• Federal work authorization routes provide lawful frameworks for short-term and long-term staffing, with compliance and worker protections

VisaVerge.com reports that aerospace manufacturers often staff around multi-year order books, supporting sustained recruitment cycles for roles such as:

• Assembly technicians
• Painters
• Logistics coordinators
• Quality engineers
• Process planners
• Industrial software specialists

Global experience can be an asset for some specialized positions during a rapid ramp-up.

Sustainability and operational efficiency

Sustainability is part of the expansion narrative. Airbus emphasizes:

• Energy-efficient buildings
• Improved logistics to reduce waste and movement
• Investments aimed at cutting the environmental footprint of production

These steps are incremental but reflect a broader industry trend: saving energy in assembly, planning smarter parts flows, and designing facilities to handle higher throughput with less resource use.

What’s next for Mobile and milestones to watch

Key markers already set:

1. The second A320 Final Assembly Line in Mobile is live as of October 13, 2025
2. Production will scale over coming months and years toward the 75 A320 Family aircraft per month by 2027 global goal
3. Airbus may add a third assembly line in Mobile if market demand, supplier capacity, and workforce pipelines support it

Near-term milestones to monitor:

• First aircraft rollouts from the new bay
• Step-ups in monthly output
• Continued supplier additions and co-locations

Local ripple effects will continue: more materials handlers, quality inspectors, mid-level supervisors, and support roles (building maintenance, safety oversight). The new paint shops and expanded delivery center will also change the rhythm of onsite work, increasing shift diversity and hours of activity.

Policy and training implications

Steady hiring cycles enable thoughtful workforce planning, including apprenticeships and partnerships with veterans’ programs and career-switcher initiatives. When employers can forecast demand years ahead, training providers can:

• Match curricula to real jobs (welding standards, electrical troubleshooting, composite repair)
• Adjust class sizes to meet intake targets
• Deliver targeted upskilling for mid-career workers

Broader industry significance

Airbus’s expansion in Mobile doesn’t just add space and headcount. It signals that:

• The center of gravity for A320 production includes the American South
• Trained technicians can find long careers on the Gulf Coast
• Airlines can count on deliveries from an Alabama site designed to scale

For a region pursuing durable, skilled jobs, the new Final Assembly Line marks a new phase—grounded in steady output, a rising supplier base, and a workforce that can grow into the next generation of aerospace roles.