WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines announced plans to purchase 40 new Airbus aircraft consisting of 10 widebody A330-300 aircraft for international flights and 30 large narrowbody A321 jets for domestic flights, a $5.6 billion purchase set for delivery between 2015 and 2017.

According to Airbus, many of the A321s in Delta’s order are expected to be assembled at the brand new Airbus assembly line in Mobile at the Brookley Aeroplex, which is currently under construction. Airbus said it is scheduled to deliver its first aircraft in 2016 from the facility, which represents a $600-million dollar investment in the Gulf Coast region, and will provide 1,000 new jobs in that community.

Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Tuscaloosa, applauded the news in a statement issued to Yellowhammer News.

“This is welcome news for Airbus and its workers in Mobile,” Shelby said. “It’s also noteworthy for other companies around the world looking to create more jobs in an advantageous location with a great workforce and business climate.”

According to The Dallas Morning News, this is the first order from Airbus Delta has made in its 88-year history. Currently, the bulk of Delta’s fleet consists of a variety of Boeing and McDonnell Douglas planes, but in 2008, with its merger with Northwest Airlines, Delta inherited a fleet of Airbus planes and now operates 32 A330s, 57 A319-100s and 69 A320-200s.

“This Airbus agreement is another opportunistic fleet transaction for Delta in which we acquire economically efficient, proven-technology aircraft,” Richard Anderson, Delta’s chief executive officer, said in a statement. “These A330s and A321s will provide tremendous flexibility for Delta to optimally manage our capacity over the next five years while further improving the flight experience for our customers and returns for our shareholders.”

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