Kinston, NC supports the A350’s success

Driving down John Mewborne Road in Kinston, North Carolina, you'd never guess you were navigating a critical artery of the global aerospace supply chain. Flanked by green pastures and scattered pines, this quiet community of fewer than 20,000 residents is home to a massive manufacturing hub where local professionals build the structural core of the industry-leading Airbus A350.

Airbus officially began operations at Airbus Aerosystems in Kinston, N.C., in December 2025. The facility, originally built by Spirit AeroSystems, transitioned into the Airbus network, becoming an Airbus Center of Excellence for advanced composite manufacturing. The site’s 1,000 local employees focus on fabricating A350 fuselage panels and wing spar aerostructures. These components, including wing spars that provide the structural backbone for a massive 200-foot wingspan, are then shipped to France to form the aircraft’s center fuselage.

Kinston facility Commercial aircraft U.S.

Daryl Taylor, Senior Vice President of Commercial Aircraft Manufacturing, emphasized that the Kinston team is critical to the program's success, manufacturing components that are quite literally the backbone of the aircraft as Airbus continues to invest in the North Carolina community.

Kinston facility Commercial aircraft U.S. A350

Welcome to Kinston

The high-tech shop floor resembles a science-fiction film, featuring heavy-loader robotic transport vehicles that effortlessly glide across the floor with 90,000-pound tools and car-sized automated robots that drill precision holes into fuselage sections. Nearby, robotic machinery wraps wing spars with carbon fiber for strength, while a massive 80-foot-long on-site autoclave bakes and hardens the sweeping panels under extreme heat and pressure.

Kinston facility Commercial aircraft U.S. A350

General Manager Marc Swinkels noted that while the tooling is state-of-the-art, it is the dedication of the highly skilled local team that drives the site's alignment with Airbus’ world-class quality and safety standards.

This manufacturing capability is vital as global demand for the A350 Family climbs, supported by major commercial milestones like Delta Air Lines’ recent firm orders. Kinston currently supports a global Airbus backlog of more than 1,000 A350 aircraft.