TOULOUSE, France--The first structurally complete airframe for the new Airbus BelugaXL has rolled out from its assembly hangar here, the manufacturer said Tuesday. Based on an A330-200F airframe, the planned fleet of five BelugaXLs will provide 30 percent more transport capacity than the Beluga-600XTs they will replace.
Airbus is investing in automation to tackle huge backlogs for its commercial jetliners. Bernard Duprieu, head of manufacturing technologies research at the Airbus Centre of Competence, Industrial Strategy and System, tells ASSEMBLY about the company’s FuturAssy automation strategy.
WICHITA, KS—Airbus plans to double the $12 billion it now spends with U.S. suppliers amid strong airplane sales, explaining that the company has a backlog that is “disturbingly healthy.”
MOBILE, AL—Airbus is poised to announce plans for a commercial-jet assembly plant here, its first in the United States, to meet demand as North American airlines renew their fleets.
