Airbus to establish assembly line in United States

              Airbus to establish assembly line in United States

  PR Newswire

  MOBILE, Alabama, July 2, 2012

- Industry-leading A320 Family aircraft to be made in largest single-aisle
aircraft market

MOBILE, Alabama, July 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- In a major strategic
announcement today, Airbus said it will establish a manufacturing facility in
the United States to assemble and deliver A320 Family aircraft. Located at the
Brookley Aeroplex in Mobile, Alabama, it will be the company's first
U.S.-based production facility. Airbus stressed that the assembly line, which
will create jobs and strengthen the aerospace industry, is part of its
strategy to enhance Airbus' global competitiveness by meeting the growing
needs of its customers in the United States and elsewhere.

The facility in Alabama will assemble the industry-leading family of A319,
A320 and A321 aircraft. The company said construction of the assembly line
will begin in summer 2013. Aircraft assembly is planned to start in 2015, with
first deliveries from the Mobile facility beginning in 2016. Airbus
anticipates the facility will produce between 40 and 50 aircraft per year by
2018.

"The time is right for Airbus to expand in America," said Fabrice Bregier,
Airbus President & CEO at the announcement today in Mobile. "The U.S. is the
largest single-aisle aircraft market in the world – with a projected need for
4,600 aircraft over the next 20 years - and this assembly line brings us
closer to our customers. Mobile is now becoming part of Airbus' global
production network, joining our successful and growing assembly lines in
Hamburg, Toulouse and Tianjin.

"When Airbus aircraft take to the skies, our pride and workmanship will soar
along with them," Alabama Governor Robert Bentley said.  "We owe thanks to so
many people who helped make this effort a success.  This project will create
1,000 stable, well-paying jobs that the people of this area need and deserve. 
Alabama has the best workforce you'll find anywhere in the U.S.  Airbus has
recognized all that this state can offer expanding industries, and the company
is making a significant new investment in Alabama.  Airbus and its parent
company, EADS, have been great citizens of Alabama for years now, and we are
excited to build on our wonderful relationship."

Airbus already has a strong and growing presence in Alabama and throughout the
United States.  In Alabama, the company operates an Engineering Center in
Mobile – also located at Brookley Aeroplex and employing more than 200
engineers and support staff – as well as an Airbus Military customer services
operation supporting U.S. Coast Guard aircraft.  In addition, Airbus operates
an Engineering Center in Wichita, Kansas; an aircraft Spares Center in
Ashburn, Virginia; a Training Center in Miami, Florida, and a regulatory and
government liaison office in Washington, D.C.  Subsidiary Metron Aviation, a
leading provider of advanced Air Traffic Management (ATM) products and
services, is based in Dulles, Virginia.  Airbus' headquarters for the Americas
are located in Herndon, Virginia.  All together, Airbus' U.S. facilities
currently employ more than 1,000 people.

The company said that the new Mobile assembly line, together with associated
functions, should create as many as 1,000 new high-skilled jobs.

Airbus' assembly line in Mobile will add to existing production capabilities
by other EADS companies in the United States.  For example, American
Eurocopter manufactures helicopters at facilities in Columbus, Mississippi and
Grand Prairie, Texas, while Cassidian Communications has an assembly plant in
Temecula, California.

Airbus is the largest export customer for the U.S. aerospace industry.  Since
1990, the company has spent $127 billion with U.S. suppliers – $12 billion
last year alone.

Airbus partners with hundreds of US suppliers in more than 40 US states, and
the company's expenditures in the U.S. support more than 210,000 American
jobs.

Airbus is the leading aircraft manufacturer with the most modern and
comprehensive family of airliners on the market, ranging in capacity from 100
to more than 500 seats. Over 11,500 Airbus aircraft have been sold to more
than 470 customers and operators worldwide and more than 7,200 of these have
been delivered since the company first entered the market in the early
seventies. Airbus is an EADS company.

Website: http://www.airbus.com
Contact: For journalists: Follow the announcement live on www.airbus.com or
www.airbusalabama.com starting at 10:00 am Alabama time (CDT)/17:00 Paris time
(GMT+2). Follow the press conference live on www.airbus.com or on
www.airbusalabama.com starting at 11:15 am Alabama time (CDT)/18:15 Paris time
(GMT+2). To submit a question during the press conference, click on the
following link http://www.videonewswire.com/event.asp?id=88044 to open the
online question managing tool. To access all information about this
announcement (including press kit, photos and videos), click on the following
link: http://www.airbus.com/presscentre/hot-topics/alabama/ This includes a
video interview in English with Fabrice Bregier, Airbus President & CEO. For
broadcasters: There will be live satellite transmission of the announcement
starting at 10:00 am Alabama time (CDT)/17:00 Paris time (GMT+2) and the press
conference starting at 11:15 am Alabama time (CDT)/18:15 Paris time (GMT+2).
Satellite parameters are: Satellite: DOMESTIC (USA) KU Digital 9MHz Galaxy 17
Transponder K19- Channel A DL: 12066.5 Horizontal Symbol Rate: 6.1113 Data
rate: 8.448 FEC: 3/4 Satellite: INTERNATIONAL KU Digital 9Mhz Eutelsat 10A,
Transponder B1, Middle Channel 2 DL: 11005 Horizontal Symbol Rate: 6.1113 Data
rate: 8.448 FEC: 3/4 B-roll on this announcement will be available on
http://www.airbus.com/broadcastroom/ including a video interview in English
with Fabrice Bregier, Airbus President & CEO, which is available immediately.
Contacts for the media: Stefan Schaffrath +33 5 61 93 42 99 Liana Sucar-Hamel
+1 305 876 6781