HispanicBusiness

Airbus' first assembly line in the United States, to be built in Mobile, Alabama, will produce between 40 and 50 aircraft a year and create 1,000 jobs once fully functional, the company said Monday.

Europe-based Airbus, the primary competitor of US plane manufacturer Boeing, will begin construction on the facility in 2013 and plans to begin manufacturing planes by 2016.

Airbus President and CEO Fabrice Bregier made the announcement at a press conference in Mobile.

"The time is right for Airbus to expand in America," Bregier said. "The US is the largest single-aisle aircraft market in the world - with a projected need for 4,600 aircraft over the next 20 years - and this assembly line brings us closer to our customers."