Southfield-based Comau Aerospace will supply the main assembly and test stations for three Airbus Americas’ aircrafts — A319, A320, and A321 — all part of the world’s best-selling single aisle aircraft family, say company officials.
In April, Airbus, based in Toulouse, France, broke ground on a $600-million final assembly line at the Brookley Aeroplex in Mobile, Ala. The complex is slated to open in 2015 and is expected to deliver the first A320 family aircraft the following year.
“We feel this is a strategic decision for both Comau and Airbus, and we are pleased to have been selected as the full line integrator of this final assembly line,” says Brad Pelachyk, COO of Comau Adaptive Solutions and Comau Aerospace. “We look forward to developing a long-term relationship with Airbus Americas.”
Comau Aerospace, the Italian-based aircraft supplier that has its North American headquarters in Southfield, will provide all jigs and tooling for the Mobile assembly plant. It also plans to open a neighboring integration center. The project will include future expansion for the A320 NEO, a more fuel-efficient and eco-friendly line of the A320 aircraft family.
As of Sept. 2013, more than 9,800 A320 family aircraft — including the A318, A319, A320 and A321— have been ordered and more than 5,700 have been delivered to more than 380 customers and operators worldwide.
As a global supplier to the aerospace industry, Comau Aerospace provides engineering, production processes, riveting and fastening assembly processes, jigs and tooling, automated cells, and assembly line solutions to aerospace OEMs in the United States and Europe.
