Post date: Feb 13, 2014 1:44:43 PM
Kelli Dugan | kdugan@al.com on February 11, 2014 at 8:29 AM, updated February 11, 2014 at 12:36 PM
MOBILE, Alabama – Airbus is officially hiring for the first wave of hourly manufacturing jobs at its A320 final assembly line under construction at Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley. The open positions include aircraft structure/installation mechanics, installers for aircraft cabin furnishings and aircraft electricians.
Starting hourly pay rates for all of the positions range from $13 to $22 plus benefits based on skills, experience and education. All positions require a minimum of a high school diploma or GED and at least five years' experience in aircraft maintenance.
Successful candidates for all positions will participate in a two-week pre-employment training session with AIDT. Those candidates who complete the training successfully will then have the opportunity to join Airbus and begin on-the-job training with the company’s manufacturing teams in Hamburg, Germany; Toulouse, France; and possibly Tianjin, China, before returning to Mobile. The candidates selected for on-the-job training can expect to spend at least nine months abroad.
Aircraft structure/installation mechanics are responsible for the structural installation of parts and major components in the aircraft, while installers for aircraft cabin furnishings are responsible for installing various cabin amenities into the aircraft including cabin equipment, floor covering, cockpits, cargo and doors. Aircraft electricians are responsible for the electrical installations, connections, bonding, measuring and troubleshooting within the aircraft.
Airbus is currently building its first A320 assembly line on U.S. soil at Mobile Aeroplex, expected to figure prominently in the company’s ability to efficiently fill the mounting backlog for the popular single-aisle aircraft. The $600 million facility is slated to come online in 2015, deliver its first Mobile-assembled aircraft the following year and employ about 1,000 people when it reaches full annual production of 40 to 50 aircraft by 2018.