Airbus and Bombardier have announced a new partnership that likely will bring a second aircraft assembly line to Mobile.

Company leaders made the joint announcement late Monday afternoon. Under the deal, Airbus will acquire a majority stake in the limited partnership that produces Bombardier's C Series aircraft. That's a new family of passenger jets somewhat similar to the A320 family that Airbus already assembles in Mobile: It's a single-aisle, twin-engine plane designed for medium-range routes.

Airbus says the C Series will give it a better position in the market for aircraft with 100 to 150 seats, smaller than the A320s and A321s it currently builds in Mobile. Depending on configuration, the A320 can hold about 180 passengers, with the A321 seating up to about 240. By comparison, the CS100 and CS300 range from about 108 seats to about 160.

There is a smaller A320 variant, the A319. Asked if building the C Series meant that Airbus was willing to cannibalize sales of its own A319, Airbus CEO Tom Enders said there were few to lose, while the C Series was a strong new contender in the market segment. (Almost all of the 50-plus jets assembled in Mobile have been A321s.)

"I really think this is a win-win or win-win-win situation for everyone," Enders said. He specified that it was a win for commercial customers, the C Series itself and "industrial operations in Canada, the U.K. and China ... and by the way as well in the U.S., where we intend to build a second Final Assembly Line in Mobile, Alabama, serving U.S. customers."

Few details of the proposed new assembly line in Mobile were released in the initial announcement. It wasn't clear whether Airbus means to build an entirely new facility from the ground up, or to utilize portions of its current Mobile facility and workforce to produce the new plane.

Despite such unknowns, Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson was quick to celebrate the news.

"There is no greater example of confidence than when a company of Airbus' caliber decides to reinvest in Mobile," Stimpson said. "Airbus choosing Mobile to grow its new market and to build a second Final Assembly Line exemplifies our strong partnership. It was that strong partnership that brought Airbus to Mobile in the first place. Not only will this new development increase jobs, but it will diversify the manufacturing operations at Brookley. Mobile is open for business."

Likewise, U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne issued a statement saying the announcement "is a testament to the first-class workforce in Southwest Alabama and our pro-business culture. I want to share my deep appreciation with Airbus for their continued investment in Mobile and our community. This announcement is yet another step toward our region becoming a national and global hub for aviation excellence."

"The C Series is an incredible, highly innovative aircraft," said Alain Bellemare, president and CEO of Bombardier Inc., who said that Airbus' global reach and marketing power would mean more sales. "Now with Airbus, we can fully unleash the C Series' full potential," he said.

Asked during a Monday afternoon conference call if a big Delta order of C Series aircraft would be delayed so that they could be produced in Mobile, Bellemare said that Delta appeared to be willing to wait, so "clearly the Mobile option is on the table."

In the same call, Enders said that the new Mobile facility wasn't entirely a done deal.

"As far as timing is concerned, the Mobile line ... we need to go through various approvals in the coming months, so it's not like we can jump right into the joint venture and start acting there. But we have a lot of experience in setting up a Final Assembly Line in Mobile, Alabama, it can be done in a relatively short period of time."

During the call, Enders and Bellemare were asked if the possibility of building jets in the U.S. was meant to circumvent a tariff ruling imposed on imports of Bombardier's C Series jets, following a complaint by Boeing. Both downplayed that aspect of the deal, saying it simply made good business sense, and both said they hoped the tariff imposed on Bombardier would be overturned as the case went forward.

Bellemare said that C Series production would continue as planned in Canada, and that the planned Mobile assembly line wouldn't cost jobs in Quebec.