Aircraft
Airbus Ships First Parts for U.S.-built A320s from Hamburg
Wings, tail, cockpit among components bound for Mobile, Alabama
Airbus launches a ship carrying the first components for A320 family production in the U.S. (Photo: Airbus)
Airbus launches a ship carrying the first components for A320 family production in the U.S. (Photo: Airbus)

The first large components for an Airbus A320-family aircraft destined for assembly in the U.S. left the port of Hamburg, Germany, on Friday, bound for Mobile, Alabama. The major component assemblies consist of the wings, produced in the UK; the rear fuselage section and tail cone, produced in Germany and Spain, respectively; the forward fuselage section, produced in France; and the cockpit, which contains parts from around the world. The horizontal and vertical stabilizers, from Spain and Germany, respectively, are also on board. Schedules call for the first aircraft--an A321ceo—to go to JetBlue in 2016.