Official: Airbus would help Pensacola

PENSACOLA, Fla. (WALA) - Escambia County Commission Chairman Wilson Robertson represents District 1, actually the closest of the five to the port city.

The chairman said he's never wanted to compete with Mobile in supply, but thinks the port city can help his county, and soon.

"Our best hope was to cooperate with them, and get the spin-off from those jobs that would be fine within an hour's drive," Robertson said.

With the European plane maker Airbus possibly touching down in Mobile for good, Robertson believes it'll provide a boost to Escambia County's economy.

Robertson said despite Pensacola's distance from the Port City, Airbus would create plenty of jobs for the area, and families will feel the effects in several ways.

"One is there's going to be some job opportunities, because I fully believe there's going to be those jobs that'll spin-off from Mobile to here," Robertson said. "And if we can, we don't want them to relocate from here to Mobile, and so we want to save them here. These families that live here are going to be able to stay right here where they live, and work, and they're going to be able to get jobs that'll be brought to Pensacola from this Airbus announcement."

Robertson said northwest Florida wouldn't just be providing labor.  He said the area has plenty of space and buildings to spare, such as open military hangers where sub-contractors and suppliers could work.

He believes the Gulf Coast needs the plant more than ever, following the tanker contract decision.

"That was a great disappointment that it didn't come to Mobile, but to have this come to Mobile and us being so close with the interstate right there, it's great," Robertson said. "The best economic news we've had in a while."