This story was originally appeared in WIRED Italy Translated from Italian.
This is the most important moment in the life of an aircraft. It is the moment when the new owner signs and takes possession of the aircraft, similar to the moment when a driver takes possession of a new car from a dealer.
The aircraft in question is an Airbus A321neo, parked at Hamburg-Finkenwerder, the German city’s second airport. Airbus uses it for testing, logistics and delivering aircraft to customers. Around the plane are the pilot, cabin crew and two executives from Wizz Air, the Hungarian low-cost carrier that will be taking delivery of the aircraft.
Airlines and manufacturers never disclose how much they pay for individual aircraft, partly because the price varies depending on a number of factors, including the number of aircraft purchased and the commercial history of each individual airline. But aircraft purchases are never cheap. The base price of a single Airbus A321neo is estimated at around $110 million.
This particular aircraft, registered as H9-WNM by Wizz Air, was built at Airbus’ Hamburg plant in just over a year. The plant is one of the company’s four production centers, the others being Toulouse, France; Mobile, Alabama; and Tianjin, China. Known as the Final Assembly Line (FAL), this massive workspace is where the aircraft’s structural components, cabin electronics, hydraulic and mechanical components, and all other parts come together.
Final armament of the Airbus A320neo underway in Hamburg.Photo: Antonio Dini
But before these components can reach FAL, they must be manufactured. Some are manufactured internally by Airbus, others by third parties, and putting them together requires dozens of factories and centers around the world. Then there is the enormous logistical challenge of putting it all together. This complex ballet involves transport by ship, train, road, and air, and involves special transport aircraft ( Beluga—plays a vital role. With its enormous girth, resembling a beluga whale, the aircraft was built by Airbus to transport large components, such as fuselages, from one production center to another.
