Airbus Ramps Up U.S. Assembly Plans

After months of discussion, Airbus appears ready to pull the trigger on establishing another A320 final assembly line (FAL), this time in the U.S. That the company has continued internal discussions about expanding its Mobile, Ala., engineering facility to a production site was highlighted in March by then EADS CFO Hans-Peter Ring, who confirmed continued contact with local officials. Mobile was to be the final assembly site if the U.S. Air Force selected the A330-based tanker in its KC-X program. It did not, and the A330 FAL concept disappeared ...