Business Briefs: AutoMOBILE, Airbus United, Aquarium of Alabama

BUSINESS BRIEFS

AutoMOBILE International Terminal

In a strategic move to capture some of the shipments destined for Mexico, Latin America and the Far East, the Alabama State Port Authority signed a memorandum of understanding with AutoMOBILE International Terminal in 2018. The company opened its vehicle processing roll-on/roll-off (RO/RO) facility at the Port of Mobile this summer. The 57-acre terminal has an annual capacity of 150,000 vehicles. Company officials say AutoMOBILE is “ideally positioned to add value to the finished vehicle logistics supply chain in the region.”

Airbus + United

United Airlines placed an order for 70 planes with Airbus this summer. According to Airbus officials, a significant number of the A321neo aircraft will be produced in Mobile. The A321neo features a new engine option with the lowest CO2 emissions per seat in its class, according to a company news release, and features expanded seating capacity. The new order with United Airlines will position the airline to expand its presence in the single-aisle market, and is in addition to United’s current order for 50 A321XLRs.

Official Aquarium of Alabama

The Dauphin Island Sea Lab has a new designation as the official Aquarium of Alabama. Passed through the state legislature earlier this year, it considered a step in highlighting its importance to education and research conducted by the organization. Since 1998, more than 1 million students and visitors have walked through the doors of the aquarium for visual and interactive exhibits through the Mobile Tensaw-Delta and Mobile Bay, along the barrier islands, and into the northern Gulf of Mexico. The aquarium was created to improve ocean literacy and enhance the public understanding and wise stewardship of our coastal resources.