Aviation

Airbus delivers Delta Air Lines’ first U.S.-built A321 jet

The A321 delivered to Delta on Friday is seen here as it came out of paint in November.
The A321 delivered to Delta on Friday is seen here as it came out of paint in November. Courtesy photo

Delta Air Lines on Friday received its first U.S.-built Airbus A321 airplane.

Executives from the airline and a team of its employees from Delta’s Minneapolis-St. Paul station were at Airbus’ Mobile, Ala., facility to receive the airplane.

It is Delta’s 12th A321 and the 15th aircraft assembled at the $600 million Mobile plant since its opening in 2015.

The Mobile plant operates a single line for the assembly of A320 Family aircraft, which includes the A318, A319 and A320.

Airbus expects to reach a production rate of four aircraft a month at the Mobile facility by the end of 2017.

Wichita-based Spirit AeroSystems manufactures parts of the wing of A320 Family aircraft.

Jerry Siebenmark: 316-268-6576, @jsiebenmark

This story was originally published December 2, 2016 at 3:00 PM with the headline "Airbus delivers Delta Air Lines’ first U.S.-built A321 jet."

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