Airbus US to create 2,500 jobs

WASHINGTON - Reuters

The new Airbus plant in the US may result in many jobs, officials say. AFP Photo

Airbus should create about 2,500 construction jobs to build a new $600 million airliner assembly plant in Mobile, Alabama, and 400 to 500 full-time jobs once production starts in 2017, a source familiar with the plans said on June 30.

The European planemaker, owned by EADS, is poised to announce plans to build the plant for its single-aisle A320 passenger jet that will begin producing four planes a month in 2017, according to multiple people familiar with the plans.

The announcement was expected to come as early as today.

Over the longer term, the facility is also expected to attract a number of key suppliers to the region, including jet engine makers and companies that produce key aircraft components that require on-site quality control, the sources said. The initial job opportunities in Mobile will be focused on the building trades, with some estimates projecting creation of about 2,500 jobs over the next three to four years, said one of the sources.