Airbus' presence in the U.S. to grow with new engineering centre

Articles: Airbus' presence in the U.S. to grow with new engineering centre

Posted by admin on Wednesday, February 01, 2006 - 02:23 PM

Airbus newest engineering U.S. centre in Mobile, Alabama is to play a key role in evolving cabin interior innovations for the all-new A350, applying new concepts developed for the A380 and working with the latest in modeling and design tools.

The facility at Mobile, Alabama's Brookley Field complex received its official kick-off today with a groundbreaking ceremony attended by Airbus managers, who were joined by key local, state and federal officials.

While the new centre will open for business in January 2007, Airbus already has begun hiring cabin specialists who will start A350 interior design work later this year. More than 20 persons have been recruited so far, and this team is undergoing an introductory orientation at Airbus North America''s existing U.S. engineering facility in Wichita, Kansas.

The Mobile facility is to employ at least 150 engineers at full capacity, with design responsibilities to include cabin interiors, crew rest compartments, lavatories and galleys. Airbus North America is continuing to build up the centre''s staffing, and is looking for engineers with five to 15 years of experience in aircraft interior design, cabin customization and cargo configurations.

This operation also is a precursor to a potentially larger-scale industrial site for Northrop Grumman''s KC-30 advanced multi-role tanker transport (AMTT), should this military derivative of the A330 jetliner be selected as a new in-flight refueling aircraft for the U.S. Air Force.

The new engineering facility at Mobile will be Airbus'' fifth operation in North America. Its regional headquarters in Herndon, Virginia supports Airbus customers in the U.S. and Canada, while the company's spares centre in nearby Ashburn, Virginia is a full-service warehouse and support facility. The Airbus North American training centre in Miami, Florida handles more than 3,000 flight crew and maintenance personnel each year, and the Airbus engineering office at Wichita, Kansas has been actively supporting the A380 and other Airbus long-range programs since its opening in 2002.

For more on job opportunities at the Mobile centre, see our Careers centre.

Additional information on Airbus in the United States is available on the Airbus North America regional Website.

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