Source: American Airlines

We recently took delivery of our 50th Airbus aircraft assembled in Mobile, Alabama. To commemorate the occasion, we’ll be sharing a five-part series to give you a behind-the-scenes look at how our A321neos are assembled.

Part 1: By sea, land and air

It’s before sunrise at the Port of Mobile in Mobile, Alabama, on a humid June morning. The Mobile Express cargo ship is in port, enjoying a much-needed rest after a 13-day journey covering more than 4,500 miles that began in St. Nazaire, France. On board are components for one of American’s newest Airbus A321neo aircraft, arriving for assembly at the Airbus U.S. Final Assembly Line. Watch the first in a series of five videos chronicling the assembly of American’s A321neo.

Part 2: When two become one

It’s time to start putting the pieces of this 146-foot-long puzzle together. It takes more than 3,000 rivets and two days to join the front and rear fuselage sections. Even with all the modern technology that goes into aircraft production, hand-held tools are used to ensure precision assembly. Watch our Airbus A321neo take shape in the second in a series of five videos documenting the assembly of American’s A321neo.

*Note: These videos were filmed before the COVID-19 pandemic.