Airbus announced on Tuesday that they will add A321 production capabilities to their Toulouse manufacturing operations. Beginning mid-2022, the current A380 Legardére facility will accommodate a digitally-enabled A321 line.
Today, Airbus announced that they will add A321 production capabilities in Toulouse, with the A380 Lagardére facility accommodating a new A321 production line by mid-2022. The new line will provide additional flexibility in A321 production, while overall single-aisle industrial production in Toulouse will remain flat. In Tuesday’s announcement, Airbus’ Chief Operating Officer, Michael Schoellhorn said,
“We are enjoying an unprecedented high demand for our winning A320neo Family and especially its A321 Long Range (LR) and Xtra Long Range (XLR) derivatives. In order to optimize the industrial flow, we have decided to increase our global A321 production capacity and flexibility as well as to establish a next generation Final Assembly Line in Toulouse.”
Currently, Airbus operates final assembly lines for the A321 in Hamburg, Germany and Mobile, Alabama in the US. The decision to add a new A321 line in Toulouse was based on factors such as competitiveness, time to market, available factory floor space and resources.
The Airbus A320neo Family of aircraft is the world’s best selling single-aisle range with over 7,100 aircraft sold to more than 110 global customers and operators. Providing more range and increased payload, the A321XLR derivative is a natural evolution in response to market demand. Starting in 2023, the aircraft will provide its customers with a range of up to 4,700 nautical miles and a 30% reduction in fuel burn, when compared to previous generation competitor aircraft. Additionally, the new ‘Airspace’ cabin promises to deliver long-haul passenger comfort previously only available on widebody aircraft.
Source: Airbus