When Airbus chose Mobile as the home for its first U.S.-based commercial aircraft assembly plant, it marked a transformative moment for the state’s aerospace industry.

But behind the headlines and ribbon cuttings was another critical development: the establishment of the AIDT Aviation Training Center, a state-of-the-art facility designed to build the skilled workforce Airbus needed to succeed in Alabama.

The training center opened in 2014, one year before Airbus launched aircraft production in Mobile. Today, the facility stands as a national model for how targeted workforce training can power an entire industry.

Operated by AIDT, Alabama’s premier workforce development agency, the Aviation Training Center is just minutes from Airbus’ assembly lines at the Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley.

The $7 million facility was purpose-built to train workers in the high-precision skills needed to build A320 and A220 aircraft. From aircraft systems installation and precision drilling to fuselage joining and quality control, the center delivers hands-on instruction that prepares trainees to hit the ground running.

This kind of industry-aligned training ensures that Alabama can offer not just a workforce, but a world-class workforce, ready to meet the demands of global aerospace manufacturers.

As Airbus continues to ramp up production in Mobile and as more aerospace firms look to Alabama for expansion, the Aviation Training Center stands as a cornerstone of the state’s efforts to keep its aerospace momentum soaring.

“The AIDT Aviation Training Center is a powerful example of Alabama’s commitment to workforce excellence,” said Ellen McNair, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce, who led a business development mission to the recent 2025 Paris Air Show.

“This training facility not only supports one of the world’s top aerospace companies but ensures that Alabamians are first in line for high-quality, high-wage careers in this vital industry,” McNair said. “And it shows the world that for Alabama, the sky isn’t the limit – it’s just the beginning.”

The training center is also a symbol of the enduring partnership that Alabama has forged with Airbus, which has engaged in multiple expansion projects in Mobile since launching production there in 2015.

“Airbus truly has a commitment to being a global company and nowhere is that more obvious or more apparent than in the great state of Alabama,” Robin Hayes, president and CEO of Airbus in North America, said at the Alabama Aerospace reception in Paris.

Built for flexibility

What sets the AIDT Aviation Training Center apart is its adaptability.

As Airbus continues to expand operations and introduce new aircraft models, AIDT and the Airbus Training Team based at the Aviation Training Center update their training programs accordingly.

The facility features full-scale aircraft sections and advanced tooling systems that replicate the Airbus production environment, allowing trainees to develop confidence and expertise in real-world conditions.

Moreover, the curriculum delivered at the center is continuously refined through direct partnership with the Alabama-based Airbus training team and Airbus technical training experts in Europe. This ensures Alabama’s workforce remains on the leading edge of industry needs, an essential advantage in a fast-evolving sector.

“Our partnership with the state of Alabama has been instrumental in building and empowering a world-class aerospace workforce right here in Mobile,” said Daryl Taylor, senior vice president of commercial aircraft operations for Airbus in the United States.

“Together, we’ve invested in talent development programs and created high-value jobs, proving that when industry and government collaborate, we drive substantial advancements in economic growth,” Taylor said.

The center provides pre-employment assessment of hiring candidates as well as post-employment training classes for Airbus workers and for those of some contractors working inside the plant.

AIDT says virtually all of Airbus’ 2,000 workers have passed through the facility for hands-on assessment, training classes, orientation sessions, workshops, computer instruction and CPR training.

The center has played a pivotal role in helping Airbus assemble its Alabama workforce, holding more than 220 pre-employment assessment sessions for more than 1,700 potential hires.

With Airbus still in hiring mode as part of a 1,000-job expansion project announced in 2022, the center stays busy. In a recent week, it hosted a class of 32 new hires.

Ed Castile, director of AIDT and deputy secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce, said the center’s focus on hands-on, industry-specific instruction has proven to be a winning formula not just for workforce development, but for long-term economic growth.

“Alabama scored a tremendous victory for our citizens when Airbus chose Alabama for the Final Assembly Line several years ago, and that victory continues to grow and expand,” Castile said. “Many lives have changed with the career opportunities provided, and as they continue to grow, many more lives will change.

“Airbus is a great corporate partner and, as a global leader in aviation, joins several other top-ranked global businesses that call Alabama home,” he said. “We at Commerce and AIDT are truly blessed to work with them daily, as they are not only our colleagues but our friends.”

Courtesy of Made in Alabama.

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