It only took three years between the ground-breaking ceremony and the first aircraft delivery. On 25 April, the first Airbus assembled on American soil, in Mobile, Alabama was delivered. jetBlue received their first US built A321 (named BluesMobile by the airline) accompanied by a brass brand.
Founded in 2000, the US low-cost, last year carried 35 million passengers, mainly on domestic flights, and both companies are well acquainted with each other. jetBlue’s fleet of over 200 planes comprises 70% of the airframer’s aircraft, and also has 88 medium-haul’s on order with Airbus.
Beside the A321 delivered to jetBlue, nine other units are currently being assembled at the plant. Airbus plans to ramp up to four aircraft per month for American companies at their US assembly line by the end of 2017, and intends to monopolise half of the US single-aisle market, estimated at 5,000 new aircraft, over the next twenty years.
