Airbus's new US A320 final assembly facility is ready to take shape

Airbus has made marked progress on the construction of its new final assembly line (FAL) in the US at Mobile, Alabama. Find out more details below.

27th August 2013

Approximately 85 per cent of the more than 2,100 pilings of the final assembly line hangar and service building at the new Brookley Aeroplex site have been driven into the earth, providing a foundation that ensures the buildings and hangars   will be strong and resistant – capable of withstanding conditions that include hurricane-strength winds.  Following the completion of this activity, steelwork is planned to begin next month – during which the buildings’ frame, skin and roof will be constructed. 

“That’s when we will see this impressive new facility start to reach to the sky,” said Paul Gaskell, Airbus’ Deputy Project Leader and Head of the Project Management Office. 

In another construction milestone at Brookley Aeroplex, an 84-inch-diameter rainwater outflow drain – which is to carry away excess water gathered at the site, including from its new taxiways and ramp areas – was completed this month. 

Almost half of the construction and design contracts have been placed to date, involving many local companies selected by the Alabama-based Hoar Program Management – which is overseeing the construction for Airbus. The remaining contracts for internal outfitting of buildings, power systems, infrastructure, associated structures, landscaping and other tasks will be awarded by early next year.
For its latest A320 Family final assembly line, Airbus is voluntarily adhering to LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) standards that lower the facility’s environmental impact throughout its lifecycle. As an example of the steps to meet LEED compliance, material from a previously-existing taxiway currently under dismantlement at the Brookley Aeroplex airport site is being broken up for reuse at the new Airbus facility. 

The Mobile final assembly line will become Airbus’ fourth location worldwide where the popular A320 single-aisle family jetliners are built.  It is to join operations at Toulouse, France and Hamburg, Germany in Europe, as well as Tianjin, China. 

At full production rate, the U.S. site will employ as many as 1,000 high-skilled workers at the assembly line and associated facilities.

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Dassault Rafale selected in $10.4 billion Indian Air Force MMRCA deal

One of the largest military contracts in the world, the Indian Air Force's competition for 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) appears to have been decided in favour of the French airframer Dassault's Rafale, though there is no official confirmation.

Sources indicate the Rafale has been selected over the Eurofighter Typhoon from European competitor EADS for a contract estimated at around $10.4 billion (Rs. 51,000 Cr.), which has been keenly fought over for the better part of this century. Last year saw the exit of four other competitors the Lockheed Martin F-16IN SuperViper, the Boeing F/A-18E/F SuperHornet, the Saab JAS 39 Gripen, and the MiG 35.

The Government will hold further negotiations on price with Dassault over the next two weeks and the contract is expected to be signed in the next fiscal year which commences on April 1.

As per terms of the tender Dassault is to supply 18 of the 126 ordered aircraft, within 36 months, from its facilities with the remaining aircraft being produced under license at Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL), in Bangalore.

This order will be a huge boost for both Dassault as well as President Sarkozy. Till date, the Rafale has been limited to service only at the French Air Force and Navy. Dassault has also won a small contract to sell a few planes to Brazil.

In selecting the Rafale, the sentiments of those "in the know", have been proven true. For the last two years sources have consistently told Bangalore Aviation that other things being equal, the Indian Air Force will go for Dassault, due to their long standing, and more importantly, very positive, relationship.

The Indian Air Force has used both the Ouragan and Mystère jets, and was one of the earliest adopters of the Mirage 2000 (called Vajra meaning Thunderbolt) despite skipping the famous Mirage III fighter.

In July 2011, India signed a contract worth $3 billion (Rs. 15,000 Cr.) to upgrade its fleet of 51 Mirage 2000H's to Mirage 2000-5 standard.

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Investigative agency to file criminal charges in Airbus Indian Airlines aircraft purchase deal

The Press Trust of India and other media is reporting that the India's federal investigative agency the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is getting ready to file a criminal case against European airframer Airbus, the erstwhile national domestic carrier Indian Airlines (which is now merged in to Air India), senior civil aviation officials, for alleged irregularities in the 43 narrow body jetliner procurement in 2005, worth over Rs. 8,000 crore ($1.6 billion).

Airbus A320 from the order on delivery flight

The CBI had started probing the deal after the clauses concerning the set-up of a $175 million MRO (maintenance, repair, and overhaul) facility as part of offsets under the deal were apparently diluted by some officials to favour Airbus.

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), in September, had severely criticised the aircraft procurement by Indian Airlines and Air India from Airbus and Boeing respectively. The CAG had crticised the committments of Airbus on the MRO as being "open ended" while noting that in 2008, Indian Airlines entered a joint venture with EADS, the parent company of Airbus, for the MRO, but there was no tangible progress.

In a demonstration of how politicians and bureaucracy protect themselves, quoting the PTI report

The agency has concluded its preliminary enquiry in the matter and sought the permission of the Civil Aviation Ministry to prosecute officials in the case, CBI sources said.

If there is prima facie evidence of criminal conduct, why is permission required to prosecute?

Do you feel that there are irregularities in the Boeing aircraft procurement by Air India? If yes, do you feel the culprits in either case will ever be brought to justice?

Post your thoughts via a comment.

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John Leahy reveals Airbus A320 NEO (new engine option) plans

At the recently concluded EADS Global Investor Forum 2010, John Leahy the chief operating officer for Airbus S.A.S. the commercial airframe manufacturer owned by the consortium revealed plans on its proposed New Engine Option (NEO) for its ultra-popular A320 family of aircraft.

In this slide, Mr. Leahy unveils an artistic impression of the re-engined single-aisle narrow body airliner and outlines a targeted efficiency gain in fuel burn of up to 15% over the current generation of A320s. This is in addition to the new Sharklets which Airbus is scheduled to introduce in 2012 which are expected to deliver 3.5% improvement in fuel burn and also improved aircraft performance and noise levels.

The NEO will use high bypass ratio engines with ratios increasing from the current five to between nine and twelve. To achieve this fan diameters will increase from around 64 inches (1.626m) to 81 inches (2.057m). Due to taller under-carriage this is an option the A320 can consider, but its competitor the Boeing 737NG with its much lower wing height will find difficult to do.

On the slide one observes the logos of engine manufacturers CFM International (a consortium of GE Aviation and Snecma currently offering the CFM56 engines), and Pratt & Whitney are displayed.

The logo noticeably missing, is that of International Aero Engines (IAE) (a consortium of Pratt & Whitney, Rolls Royce, MTU Aero Engines and Japanese Aero Engines Corporation currently offering the V2500 engines).

In India, A320s of Air India and GoAir are powered by CFM engines while those of IndiGo and Kingfisher are powered by the V2500.

During his presentation, Leahy does sound very optimistic about the Airbus board going ahead with the NEO plan. A similar optimism was sounded by Tom Enders, the CEO during his recent visit to India.

The overall presentation on Airbus commercial aircraft does make very interesting reading and shows the competitive position that Airbus enjoys against arch-rival Boeing.

Some interesting analyses are on page 6 (Airbus lags Boeing on the units of aircraft orders but leads Boeing on the revenue value of orders), on page 7 (lags Boeing in the single aisle segment but leads in all others), slides 8~11 document the financial situation with airlines across the world.

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No Airbus A380 Air Force One

Call it wishful thinking, but I was so hoping to see the Airbus A380 in the Air Force One livery. Alas, my wish will not come true, and I will have to live with this CGI image by Gareth Burgess of Flight International.

EADS North America confirmed that it will not respond to a request for information by the US Air Force for an A380 replacement of the presidential transport called the AF-1.

"In 2007 at the USAF's request, EADS North America provided technical information and answered questions regarding several of our widebody commercial aircraft as the service conducted its Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) to recapitalize the current fleet of presidential aircraft.

"EADS North America's strategy for growth in the US is based on bringing value to the US warfighter; making industrial investments in the US and insourcing high technology defense and aerospace jobs. After careful review, we've determined that participation in the AF-1 program will not help us meet these business objectives."

"Though the company will not respond to this RFI, we remain focused on once again winning the KC-X competition with Northrop Grumman, delivering the UH-72A LUH to the US Army and meeting the needs of our US defense and homeland security customers.

"We reiterate our strong commitment to the US Department of Defense and to supporting the warfighter with our products and services."

It is very smart thinking on the part of EADS.

The simple reality, Air Force One, is the symbol of the United States of America. Despite being the leading proponent of the free market system, when it comes to aircraft, US lawmakers seem to follow the rule "Do as I say, not as I do".

A lesson, EADS learnt all to well, after last year's high profile hammering of the US Air Force, by the "Buy American" advocating lawmakers, when the Air Force dared select EADS over Boeing, for the US Air Force KC-X tanker program.

Economics have also played a part. There will be the highest levels of security surrounding the Air Force One program, for which EADS would be required to turn over a "green aircraft" to a U.S. company for systems integration modification, and move a significant portion of its production to the United States.

Despite the prestige, EADS may not have found it economically viable, given the fact that only three aircraft are required.

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