A new Airbus Final Assembly Line (FAL) at Toulouse delivered its first A321neo airliner on December 27.
Airbus built the new FAL in the former “Jean-Luc Lagardère” building that formerly housed the A380 assembly line. The additional FAL will allow the manufacturer to increase production of the A320neo family, including the popular A321neo variant, which now accounts for nearly 65% of the A320 family firm order backlog.
The A321neo is the largest member of the A320neo family. More than 5,600 A321neos have been ordered by over 100 customers worldwide. The newly delivered A321neo will be operated by Pegasus Airlines, the Turkish low-cost carrier. The airline’s current Airbus fleet stands at 93 aircraft, including 6 A320ceo, 46 A320neo and 41 A321neo jet. The airline also has 68 A321neo jets on order.
Airbus now has four different sites assembling A320neo family aircraft, including Toulouse (France), Hamburg (Germany), Mobile (Alabama, USA) and Tianjin (China). Airbus plans to produce 75 A320 family aircraft per month in 2026, but even with the new line up and running the supply chain may not be ready for the higher rate. .
A lifelong aviation enthusiast, Douglas Royce is currently co-editor of four of Forecast International's Market Intelligence Services: Civil Aircraft Forecast, Military Aircraft Forecast, Rotorcraft Forecast, and Aviation Gas Turbine Forecast. As such, he plays a key role in many important projects that involve market sizing and forecasting for various segments of the world aerospace industry, as well as demand for related systems.
