The company that makes in-flight entertainment possible is expanding into Alabama

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MOBILE, Alabama – The Mobile Airport Authority announced today that Panasonic Avionics Corp. will open an office at Mobile Aeroplex, adding another prominent industry player to the aerospace cluster growing around the Airbus final assembly plant.

Panasonic Avionics is a leading supplier of inflight entertainment and communication systems in passenger aircraft. A unit of the global Panasonic Corp., the California-based company has more than 4,100 employees at 80 locations around the world.

Panasonic Avionics is the latest in a string of aerospace companies with global roots to establish a presence at Mobile Aeroplex, where Airbus constructed a $600 million facility to assemble A320 Family passenger jets.

Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield, right, speaks to Roger Wehner, director of the Mobile Airport Authority, at the 2014 Farnborough Airshow.

“The Mobile Airport Authority continues to prosecute a well-researched, thoughtful, and programmatic recruitment strategy, crafting tailored solutions with highly flexible terms to meet the dynamic needs of the global aerospace supply chain,” said Roger Wehner, the authority’s executive director.

Airbus began customer delivery of Alabama-made aircraft in April, after officially launching production at the Mobile Aeroplex facility last September.

AEROPLEX ACTIVITY

Since last summer, the Aeroplex has seen a flurry of activity as companies announced plans to open facilities at the 1,700-acre industrial complex. Many of these suppliers and support companies are starting with small operations that could grow over time. Most are linked to Airbus.

For example, Zodiac Aerospace, a French company that specializes in aircraft cabins, announced plans to opened a small location at the Aeroplex in January. Zodiac will share space in a building with Germany-based Vartan Product Support, another newcomer to the complex.

Other aerospace arrivals include Messier-Bugatti-Dowty, REEL USA, Broetje Automation, Recaro Aircraft Seating, and AAA Aerospace.

In addition, France-based Hutchison announced plans in 2015 for an aerospace manufacturing Center of Excellence at the complex, and Ireland’s MASS Aviation said it was teaming with the Mobile Airport Authority to open a $39 million paint shop operation.

According to data in the Alabama Department of Commerce’s 2015 New & Expanding Industry Report, aerospace projects announced last year for the Mobile Aeroplex will bring a total of $56 million in new investment and more than 300 jobs.