Airbus is to create 480 new jobs at its Broughton plant in Flintshire after announcing a £150m investment in the North Wales factory.
The money will be used to convert the site’s former A380 wing production facility into a new production line for A321 aircraft. The project is due to be completed by the end of 2026, helping Airbus respond to its backlog of A320 aircraft.
What the investment will deliver
Of the 480 new roles, 250 will be based in the refurbished factory. They will join the 6,000 people already employed at Airbus’s Broughton site.
Once the work is finished, the facility is expected to contain six wing production jigs, an equipping line and paint shops. The investment will expand Airbus’s manufacturing capacity while keeping the former A380 facility in use for another part of the company’s aircraft programme.
Jerome Blandin, head of Airbus Wing, said investing in capacity would create high-value jobs, support the wider UK aerospace sector and help the company remain competitive.
Airbus said the project demonstrated its commitment to Wales and reinforced the UK’s role as a critical hub in the global aerospace industry. The announcement follows a separate multi-million-pound investment in the company’s Belfast operation earlier this year.
Union welcomes long-term jobs
The investment has been welcomed by Unite, which represents more than 3,000 aircraft fitters and engineers at Airbus.
The union described the plans as a vote of confidence in the skills and experience of its members in north Wales. Daz Reynolds, Unite site convenor at Broughton, said the expansion showed what could be achieved by investing directly in the existing workforce.
For Flintshire, the immediate effect will be hundreds of new positions at one of the region’s largest employers. The wider benefit will come through continued demand for specialist manufacturing skills as Airbus increases its wing production capacity.
Why this is good news for Britain
The Broughton expansion brings £150m of industrial investment to Wales and creates 480 new jobs, including 250 in the refurbished factory. It also supports the UK’s aerospace supply chain and protects a substantial base of high-value manufacturing expertise in north Wales.
