WASHINGTON — Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) today lauded EADS North America’s decision to locate a KC-330 advanced tanker production facility at Brookley Industrial Complex in Mobile.
EADS North America announced its selection of Mobile – over three other potential sites in Mississippi, Florida and South Carolina – at a news conference at the National Press Club. Production of the tanker aircraft will begin if EADS wins an Air Force contract to build the planes. EADS said the facility could cost $600 million and employ up to 1,000 workers, depending on the size and pace of the Air Force orders.
In addition to the tanker facility, EADS announced that it will build an Airbus Engineering Center at Brookley, scheduled to begin operations in 2006.
“We welcome the decision by EADS to locate its U.S. tanker production facility in Alabama,” said Sessions, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “Alabama has successfully built a world renowned automotive industrial capability, and now I look forward to the state becoming the next aerospace center of excellence for large aircraft production in the United States.”
