Airbus Tanker May Be Built in Alabama

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: Associated Press and The Wall Street Journal.

Airbus Tanker May Be Built in Alabama
Associated Press
January 14, 2008 4:49 p.m.

MOBILE, Ala. -- EADS will produce an Airbus civilian freighter in Mobile if the Air Force selects the European firm and its north American partner Northrop Grumman Corp. for a military tanker contract, company and government officials announced Monday.

The refueling tankers would also be produced at Mobile, and EADS said producing both new aircraft in Alabama's port city would add to efficiency and ensure a smooth and continuing production flow.

Officials announcing the plans at a news conference in Mobile on Monday said the Airbus work could lead to 300 more jobs at Mobile's Brookley Field.

Airbus Chief Executive Thomas Enders said selection of the KC-30 by the Air Force would result in the country's first commercial aircraft assembly plant in more than 40 years. "This significant investment would effectively transform EADS and Airbus into a second U.S.-based producer and exporter of large commercial aircraft," he said.


Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120032760405888379.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

[cloudbase]

1. I would truly hope that the folks

who build those aircraft would be better than the folks who build the ships over at Bender Shipyard. I wouldn't let them fix my bicycle.

[bahrbearian]

3. I fished for 10 years in the Bering Sea, mostly on a Bender

Couldn't trust the Boat,scary ,, Now a Marco, thats a Boat.

[cloudbase]

4. I spent a whole bunch of time there

during the conversion of the USNS Roy Wheat. They botched just about everything they touched. It finally got so bad that the Military Sealift Command (another group of incompetents) had the ship towed to Norshipco to finish the job.

[muyojoe]

6. ARE YOU GUYS SURE YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT MOBILE

and not Pascagoula, MS.

[Rufus2007]

14. It's Mobile.

They've been hyping it for awhile.

[muyojoe]

5. THE BENDER THAT BUILDS NAVY SHIPS IS IN MS

There is some small bender activity in Mobile, but the majority is in Pascagoula, MS.

[cloudbase]

8. Yep. Bender in Mobile.

Right near the Mobile County Jail, where Bender occasionally gets some of its workforce. Over in Pascagoula it's Ingalls, now Northrup-Grumman, but it should really be called the Lott-Cochran shipyard. I didn't know that Bender had a presence in Pascagoula, but then I've been out of the industry for a couple of years.

To explain the above comment, there was one guy on the Wheat project who was on work release from the jail. At the end of the day, he'd head back to jail until the next morning.

I also watched them butcher the conversion of one of the old Lykes Clipper class ships for Massachusetts Maritime Academy. While I was there, the Navy brought in the Ticonderoga for a refit. Poor schmucks, but they at least got to experience Mardi Gras.

[muyojoe]

11. COOL

I think you may be right. I don't work in that industry. Alot of guys here work during the days on work release. Seems odd to me.

[Parche]

2. I doubt

That congress will give that contract to Airbus

Boeings 767 is in the running and the best candidate to replace the 707

[muyojoe]

7. GREAT NOW WE HAVE TO HIRE 300 MORE PEOPLE FROM OUT OF STATE,

cause no one here can read, so they can't put together aircraft. Oh well, I wouldn't live here, except my wife won't leave.

[cloudbase]

9. I don't know if it's still there,

but I remember there being a major aircraft maintenance operation at the old militray airfield (right near where 65 and 10 intersect) so there is some aviation talent in the area.

C'mon now. Some folks there can read, because I used to go into a bookstore near my apartment just off of Airport Blvd. on weekends to pick up a newspaper.

[muyojoe]

10. ITS FOR TOURISTS

I'm just kidding. I live and grew up here, but I work in a plant were I'm the only democrat. Sometimes this place seems a little oppressive.

[Diclotican]

12. mahatmakanejeeves

mahatmakanejeeves

I don't belive that US want to pay for a aircraft,that is not 110% US made.. Even if EADS, and the A330 would be a better product, a more modern aircraft than Boeing 767-400. That is a rather old design it would never be Airbus.. As I know it who would give the contract from US government, to make the new tanker..

This is just for show. The next tanker would be a american made aircraft, from the botton up. And it wil posible be a Boeing.. Not Airbus..

But, it would be intersting to show, if US REALLY want the best product.. Even that B767-400 is a intersting deal.. For the US then..

Nah, this just for show, it wil be a product made and produced in US, and even if EADS was to go on their knee, and do a "blow-job" it would no matter. It is political, and workrelated, and if I dont get it to wrong, Alabama is not the place of high employment rate for the moment... Even that a plant, for the new EADS tanker would make a lot of work for the alabamas.. When pride and national "interest" is in place, it dont matter how good the aircraft, from other contient are..

Diclotican

Sorry my bad engelish, not my native language

[ohio2007]

13. Dollar Falls to Within a Cent of Euro Record on Bets Fed to Cut

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aKXUTFZVZBwQ&refer=worldwide


Let them offshore jobs to the deep south as the cost benefits are there