Airbus recently celebrated its 500th U.S.-built aircraft assembled in Mobile, AL.com reported. Despite challenges with supply chains for engines and aircraft components, the Netherlands-based company’s North American operations expressed optimism toward continued growth. Construction continues on its third final assembly plant in Mobile and is to be finished by second quarter 2025. It is anticipated that the work will make it the fourth-largest final assembly operation for commercial aircraft assembly in the world. The 500th plane made in Mobile was a Delta Air Lines A321neo. Delta has added more than 130 U.S.-produced A320 and A220 aircraft to its fleet since the Mobile plant began assembling them. Airbus continues to increase the number of its employees at the facility, with nearly 2,400 currently and expectations for another 500 to be added to work at the new assembly line by next year. It plans to build another 500 planes within four or five years.