Airbus officially opened its second modernized A320 Family final assembly line in Toulouse this week, a significant milestone in the manufacturer’s push to hit 75 aircraft per month by end of 2027 — a production rate that would represent a major acceleration from current output.
The new line sits inside the former A380 hangar at the Jean-Luc Lagardère facility — a building so massive it covers the equivalent of 500 tennis courts. It features digital controls, automated logistics, and robotics designed to optimize workflows and eventually employ around 750 additional workers, bringing the total Toulouse A320 workforce to nearly 1,500.
The opening completes Airbus’ strategic goal of operating ten A320 Family final assembly lines globally in 2026, spread across Toulouse, Hamburg, Mobile, Alabama, and Tianjin, China. The timing is deliberate — Airbus is sitting on a backlog of 7,499 A320 Family orders as of May, including 5,615 A321neos. That’s years of work queued up and airlines waiting.
For context on why production speed matters: Boeing’s ongoing delivery struggles have pushed more airline orders toward Airbus, making the ability to actually build and deliver aircraft faster a genuine competitive advantage.
Why It Matters: More A320 Family aircraft rolling off assembly lines faster means airlines can take delivery of planes they’ve been waiting on — which translates to new routes, added capacity, and more competitive fares on short and medium haul routes worldwide.
Source: Airbus
