Airbus Showcases Technological Advancements in New A320 Family Assembly Facility

Airbus Showcases Technological Advancements in New A320 Family Assembly Facility

(IN BRIEF) Airbus has opened its new A320 Family final assembly line (FAL) in Toulouse, France. The inauguration ceremony was attended by high-ranking officials and Airbus employees. The assembly line incorporates several innovations to improve product quality, efficiency, and sustainability, such as digital production control, automated logistics, and lightweight robots. The FAL, located in the former A380 assembly building, began operations in late 2022 and is set to roll out the first fully assembled aircraft, an A321, by the end of the year. The facility will gradually expand operations and employ around 700 workers by 2025. Airbus celebrates this milestone as it continues to lead in the aviation industry.

(PRESS RELEASE) TOULOUSE, 10-Jul-2023 — /EuropaWire/ — Airbus (EPA: AIR), a European multinational aerospace corporation, has officially inaugurated its new A320 Family final assembly line (FAL) in Toulouse. The ceremony was attended by high-profile officials, including French Minister of Economy & Finance Bruno Le Maire and French Transport Minister Clément Beaune, along with hundreds of Airbus employees. The new assembly line incorporates various innovations aimed at enhancing product quality, efficiency, and setting new standards for health, safety, and sustainability. These innovations include digital production control using tablets and smartphones to reduce paper consumption, automated logistics for parts distribution, and the implementation of lightweight robots for section joining.

“The inauguration of this new A321-capable final assembly line in Toulouse represents another milestone in the ongoing modernisation of our global industrial system. This FAL will contribute to the ongoing production rate ramp-up to 75 A320 Family aircraft per month in 2026, while meeting the increased demand for A321s which currently represents around 60 percent of the total A320 Family backlog,” said Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury. “We’re pleased to see this new facility join our worldwide network of final assembly sites which will comprise four FALs in Hamburg, Germany; two in Toulouse, France; two in Mobile, United States; and two in Tianjin, China, all them capable of assembling the A321.”

The new FAL is located in the former A380 “Jean-Luc Lagardère” assembly building and commenced initial operations in late 2022 with the delivery of the first fuselage sections. The rollout of the first aircraft fully assembled at this facility, an A321, is scheduled for the end of this year. The industrial site will gradually increase its operations by 2025 and is expected to employ around 700 workers directly. The inauguration of the new A320 Family final assembly line marks a significant milestone for Airbus as it continues to innovate and lead in the aviation industry.

Media contacts:

Philippe Gmerek
External Communications – Airbus
Phone: +33 6 13 19 37 27
philippe.gmerek@airbus.com

Anne Galabert
External Communications – Airbus Commercial Aircraft
Phone: +33 6 09 24 09 74
anne.galabert@airbus.com

Lena Moline
External Communications – Airbus Commercial Aircraft
Phone: +33 607 22 57 39
lena.moline@airbus.com

SOURCE: AIRBUS