On Monday, I had the fantastic experience of landing an Airbus 320 in London. Well, simulating one at least, from inside a Thales full-flight simulator of an A320 at Airbus’ Miami training centre. The flight might have been virtual, but the sweat on my brow was real, and I was definitely at my most focused.
On the same day, just one state away, Airbus announced it would set up its first manufacturing facility in the US, assembling and delivering A320 aircraft from Mobile, Alabama, beginning in 2015. This is a major – but logical – next step in Airbus’ presence in the US.
As the EU and the US look for ways to engineer closer economic co-operation, having such a big European investment in the US is a win-win-win. It’s a win for the European industries, like Britain’s, that will export the wings, landing gear and other aircraft parts to be assembled in the US. It’s a win for the US, which will see 1,000 new manufacturing jobs, and supply chain opportunities that go beyond the $12bn a year that Airbus already spends in the US. And it’s a win for the aviation industry as a whole, which will see competition like this driving innovation and growth.
The White House has welcomed the arrival of Airbus to Alabama, declaring that it shows “progress in encouraging companies from around the world to bring jobs and investment to America” and will “support jobs in states around the country like Ohio, California, Iowa and Washington.” The US is the largest aviation market in the world and over the next 20 years, it has a potential demand for close to 5,000 single aisle aircraft. Luckily for Airbus, I won’t be allowed to land any of them!