Industry Airbus FAL in Asia assembles first A321 aircraft

Airbus has started to manufacture the first Airbus A321 from the new FAL in Tianjin, China. It is a new milestone, as the manufacturer seeks to deepen its ties with the aviation industry of the country and to demonstrate its commitment to long-term growth in China and the Asia-Pacific region.

Officially, the FAL in Tianjin started the adaption of work to become A321 capable in August 2022. Due to the high level of similarity, the processes to manufacture other A320 Family aircraft types are way shorter than normal. The A321 is an important aircraft for the region, as more and more versions allow for more operational capabilities. The A321 can be used both on domestic routes but also on longer-haul flights.

“Since we announced our plans to expand the capability of FAL Tianjin to A321 production last November, I am proud that the Airbus Tianjin team has successfully completed the relevant adaptation work on schedule by working closely with European experts and our suppliers to overcome the impact of COVID-19” explained George Xu, Airbus Executive Vice President and Airbus China CEO. “The commissioning of the first A321 aircraft underlines Airbus' commitment to China, marking a new milestone in the industrial cooperation with our Chinese partners.”

The first A321 from Tianjin´s FAL is expected to be delivered in early 2023. Airbus has four FALs throughout the globe. The main FALs are located in Toulouse, France and Hamburg-Finkenwerder, Germany. Also, the manufacturer produces at Mobile in the United States and Tianjin in China. With the takeover of the Bombardier CSeries, Airbus has also taken over the FAL for the A220 in Mirabel.

The FAL in Tianjin was inaugurated in 2008 and was the first Airbus commercial aircraft assembly line outside of Europe. Since then, Airbus has delivered more than 600 aircraft to airlines throughout the region, underlining the success of the assembly line.