Airbus
European aircraft maker with U.S. final assembly lines for the A220 and A320 family in Mobile, Alabama, plus U.S. helicopter, satellite, and engineering sites.
Overview
Airbus is one of the two largest commercial aircraft manufacturers, and it builds aircraft in the United States as well as Europe. Its Mobile, Alabama plant opened in 2015, assembles A220 and A320-family jets, and added a second A320-family assembly line in October 2025. Other U.S. sites include an engineering center in Wichita, Kansas, helicopter assembly in Columbus, Mississippi, composite structures in Kinston, North Carolina, satellite production on Florida's Space Coast, and Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, which is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. Airbus says it employs more than 7,500 people at over 40 U.S. facilities. For students, the notable feature is that Mobile hires through paid apprenticeship routes that do not require prior aviation experience.
Student Insights
You can start at the Mobile plant without aviation experience
Airbus runs three entry routes into its Mobile, Alabama assembly lines. FlightPath9 is a dual-enrollment program for high school students, run with Flight Works Alabama; students earn an Aviation Manufacturing Technology certificate and Airbus pays tuition, books, and uniforms. The Early Career Apprentice Program is a two-year route for people with no aviation background: about 10 weeks of pre-employment training, 12 weeks of classroom and lab work, then on-the-job training. Airbus Onboard is aimed at career changers with around five years of non-aviation work experience.
Internships are paid and come in three formats
Airbus offers 12-week summer internships (May to August), year-long internships, and co-ops through partner schools. All are paid. Wichita (engineering) and Mobile (manufacturing) are the sites named most often, and fields range from engineering and manufacturing to supply chain, IT, and finance.
Mobile is still growing
Airbus opened a second A320-family assembly line in Mobile in October 2025 and said it would create about 1,000 jobs on the Gulf Coast. New graduates should also watch for Airbus Global Graduate Programme (AGGP) postings, which appear on the main Workday job board alongside ordinary openings.
AI Outlook
Airbus's U.S. sites are mainly production and engineering operations; its Airbus Robotics unit in Mukilteo, Washington works on advanced manufacturing automation.
Student Hiring
Typical Roles
Notable Programs
- A320 Family Final Assembly (Mobile, AL)
- A220 Final Assembly (Mobile, AL)
- FlightPath9
- Early Career Apprentice Program
- Airbus Global Graduate Programme
Career Connections
AeroEd career pathways relevant to Airbus.