Week in review (8/4 to 8/10)

The August issue of the Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor Newsletter will publish next week. We’ll tell you why Relativity Space’s decision to build rockets at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi is so important to the region.

We also have a story on how Airbus is building its first A220 in Mobile before the completion of the A220 final assembly line.

If you’re on our subscriber list, the newsletter PDF will be sent to your inbox. But non-subscribers can go to our website next week to download the newsletter. It’s free of charge to readers thanks to our underwriters.

Now for your week in review:

Airbus

Airbus has officially started manufacturing the A220 in the United States.

The first team of A220 production workers began work at the Mobile, Ala.-based production facility after returning from on-the-job training in Mirabel, Quebec, Canada. That’s where the A220 program and primary final assembly line are located.

Airbus is producing the first few aircraft within some current A320 aircraft buildings and newly-built support hangars.

The first U.S.-made A220, a jetliner that will go to Delta Air Lines, is scheduled for delivery in the third quarter of 2020. By the middle of next decade, the facility will produce between 40 and 50 A220 aircraft per year.

Airbus announced plans for the addition of A220 manufacturing in Mobile in October 2017. Construction on the main A220 flowline hangar and other support buildings for the new A220 began at the Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley at the beginning of this year. (Post)

Military

U.S. Navy Cmdr. Wesley Barnes relieved U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Mark Jackson as the 56th commanding officer of Training Squadron Two (VT-2) in a unique ceremony onboard Naval Air Station Whiting Field Friday.

In the aerial change of command flying the T-6B Texan aircraft, Jackson handed the squadron over the aircraft radio to Barnes. Three aircraft, one with Barnes and a second pilot, one with Jackson and another pilot, and one aircraft with the deputy commodore of Training Air Wing Five (TW-5), Col. Jeffrey Pavelko, who acted as the officiating officer, flew in a three-ship formation.

After landing the T-6B aircraft, the officers completed the ceremony in a hangar on the installation with commodore, TW-5, Capt. Doug Rosa presiding. More than a hundred people attended the ceremony. Rosa presented Jackson with a meritorious service medal for his accomplishments leading the squadron. (Post)

Contracts

ZITEC Inc., Niceville, Fla., was awarded a $25.1 million contract to provide up to 672 alternate mission equipment mobility ready storage systems; two first article units, and 670 production systems for the Navy and Marine Corps. Work will be performed in Niceville and is expected to be completed in August 2025. The Naval Air Warfare Center, Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, N.J., is the contracting activity.