Industrialisation of a new assembly line for Airbus A320s in the United States
agap2 supports REEL in the industrialisation of a new assembly line for Airbus A320s in the United States
REEL, an industrial group specialising in complex lifting and handling systems and integrated systems solutions, is duplicating a plant in Alabama that will produce the new Airbus A320 long-haul aircraft. Interview with Sylvain Michaud, Head of Offers and R&D at REEL.
What is the mission of REEL SAS and what project are you working on right now?
S.M.: “REEL is responsible for the design, manufacture, installation and commissioning of the second A320 assembly line in Mobile, Alabama, USA. The A320 is Airbus’ best-selling aircraft, with more than 6,000 on order. To meet this demand, Airbus will be opening several new production lines, including that in Mobile.
This line is an improved version of the existing line and consists of the provision of four separate workstations:
- Fuselage junction workstation
- Wing junction workstation
- Tail unit junction workstation
- Test station
Why did you call on agap2 for this project?
S.M.: “As this was an international project, we needed skills to manage the logistics of sea transport between our various European sites and the final installation site in Mobile. In this context, Hélène, Transport and Logistics Project Manager, is supporting us with the shipment of around a hundred transatlantic containers, as well as all the special transport, particularly air transport, if necessary.”
Why did you call on agap2 for this project?
S.M.: “As this was an international project, we needed skills to manage the logistics of sea transport between our various European sites and the final installation site in Mobile. In this context, Hélène, Transport and Logistics Project Manager, is supporting us with the shipment of around a hundred transatlantic containers, as well as all the special transport, particularly air transport, if necessary.”
Hélène, an consultante agap2, is working with REEL as Transport and Logistics Project Manager
H.G: “My role is to act as an interface between the customer and the suppliers for transatlantic logistics: packaging, transport, documentation and operational organisation.
As part of my job, I make sure that REEL’s suppliers are properly informed of the project’s transport and logistics recommendations, and I go over the practical procedures for loading containers with them.
In addition, I manage the container removal schedule, based on constant communication with European suppliers, the freight forwarder and its local agents.
My role involves a critical analysis of suppliers’ logistics documentation and proposed packaging. I issue customs invoices for exports and pass on the documentation to local agents.
On a day-to-day basis, I interface with the project’s technical team, the PMO, Purchasing, the REEL teams in Germany and Spain and the REEL Canada team who will be doing the on-site installation.
Given the incoterm, Airbus is responsible for import customs clearance in the USA: the American HTS customs codes differ from the HS codes used for export. So I talk to Airbus every day about the schedule and the contents of the containers.”
Expertise field
Hélène, Transport and Logistics Project Manager.
It’s a very rich project. There are eight container collection points in Europe, and the problems encountered with suppliers are very varied: special transport, storage or delay management, contingency management, etc. There’s never a dull moment!
