Airbus boosts output at US plant amid tariff dispute

Airbus will increase production of A320-family jets at its Mobile, Alabama, plant to seven a month by the beginning of 2021, adding 275 jobs, the planemaker said Thursday. Airbus currently produces close to six single-aisle jets a month at the plant and expects to reach that level in the next few weeks. The increase comes as Airbus faces US tariffs on aircraft assembled in Europe in a dispute over aircraft subsidies. Aircraft assembled at its US plant and delivered to U.S. airlines are currently exempt from the 10% duties. Airbus has previously said it envisages total capacity of eight aircraft a month in Mobile, where it began assembling aircraft from sections shipped from Europe in 2015. Airbus reiterated on Thursday it aims to increase overall A320-family production to 63 a month in 2021.<br/>