MOBILE, Ala. — The first ever American-made Airbus A321 aircraft took to the skies Monday morning, fresh off the assembly line at Mobile, Alabama’s Brookley Aeroplex.
The flight was an important milestone for the Airbus project, which was first announced almost four years ago and is expected to create roughly 1,000 jobs when it reaches full capacity.
“When Airbus aircraft take to the skies, Alabama’s pride and workmanship will soar along with them,” Governor Robert Bentley said while announcing the Airbus project in 2012.
“Alabama to us was the most business-friendly state we could find,” Airbus Chairman and CEO Allan McArtor added in 2014. “We found in Alabama a willingness to work with us, a willingness to train our employees, proven history with the automobile industry and the aerospace industry that was already in Alabama, and a state and local government that was going to be our partner.”
But while Airbus executives praised the state’s business climate and workforce, a United States Senator was gritting her teeth.
“I have stood on the line in Everett, Washington, where we have thousands of workers who go to work every day to build these planes,” Murray told National Public Radio in 2009. “I would challenge anybody to tell me that they’ve stood on a line in Alabama and seen anybody building anything.”
Murray’s comments at the time were related to the competition over a refueling tanker contract with the U.S. Air Force between Boeing, with its large operation in Murray’s home state, and Northrop Grumman Corp., which was proposing to build the planes in Mobile, Alabama.
Marray’s contention was simply that Alabamians don’t build things.
This was absurd, of course, considering Alabamians built the rocket that put a man on the moon (beat that, Patty) and have been building Mercedes-Benzes since 1997, Hondas since 2001, Toyotas since 2003, and Hyundais and Littoral Combat Ships since 2005, just to name a few.
But just in case Senator Murray is still unsure, here’s an image of what it looks like when Alabamians build things.
Oh, and Senator Murray, if you ever make it down to Alabama, here are some of the workers you’ll see on the line getting the job done.
As the first Alabama-made Airbus soars, let’s remember when Sen. @PattyMurray said Alabamians don’t build anything https://t.co/vgzzHgHTkv
— Cliff Sims (@Cliff_Sims) March 22, 2016
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