HAMBURG, Germany, June 24. As part of a media tour organized in Hamburg, Germany, on the occasion of the delivery of the first Airbus A321neo aircraft to Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) under a leasing agreement with AerCap, participating journalists visited Airbus production facilities, Trend’s special correspondent reports.
The program included a guided tour of Airbus manufacturing sites, including the A320 and A350 assembly lines. Participants were introduced to key stages of aircraft production, from structural assembly and systems installation to final assembly operations.
The Hamburg facility is Airbus’ second-largest production site after Toulouse. It hosts four production lines for the A320 family and is also involved in the production and final assembly of A330 and A350 components.
Aircraft production at the site takes place in three main stages.
The first stage is fuselage structure assembly.
At this stage, the primary structural “frame” of the aircraft is built. The three main fuselage sections — forward, center, and aft — are assembled separately and then joined into a single structure. This is the stage where the basic shape of the aircraft and its load-bearing framework are formed.
The second stage is systems installation.
Once the structural frame is completed, the installation of onboard systems begins. This includes wiring, tubing, and hydraulic lines, as well as the installation of windows and doors. All equipment that is not visible to passengers in the finished aircraft is installed at this stage, concealed behind interior panels and cabin lining.
At the end of the media tour, participants were briefed on the third stage — the final assembly of Airbus A320 family aircraft. This is the production phase in which all previously manufactured major sections and components are brought together and integrated into a complete aircraft.
