Features Aerospace

Cameron opens new A350 XWB wing factory that underpins 6,000 UK jobs

Posted 13 October 2011

Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron this afternoon officially opened Airbus' new £400m wing factory in Wales, a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility which will assemble the wings for Airbus' new A350 XWB and support more than 6,000 UK jobs.

The Prime Minister joined hundreds of guests and Airbus employees to unveil the giant, environmentally friendly Airbus North Factory at Broughton, Flintshire where 650 people will eventually work. Bigger than Wembley Stadium, it is one of the largest manufacturing facilities to be built in the UK in recent years and will produce high-tech carbon fibre ‘composite’ wings for the A350 XWB.

Above: Computer generated image of the A350 XWB. © Airbus

The A350 XWB programme will support over 1,200 jobs in the Airbus sites at Filton and Broughton and over 5,000 other high skill/high value jobs across the UK supply chain. Over £3bn has been invested in the aircraft and its engines by UK aerospace companies in the programme which underpins the key position of the UK as a global centre of aerospace manufacture.

Prime Minister David Cameron said: “The Government is committed to building a more balanced economy with stronger manufacturing, exports and private investment, creating jobs and opportunities across the UK. I welcome the opening of Airbus's new state of the art facility which will contribute to this and support our programme to create sustainable economic growth. Airbus's investment here also underlines its confidence in the expertise of its British workforce and in the UK's manufacturing base.”

Above: Aerial view of Airbus’ brand new 46,000m2 A350 XWB wing factory, Broughton, Wales, UK (13 October 2011). Photo by M. Chainey © Airbus S.A.S 2011

Secretary of State for Wales Cheryl Gillan said: " This magnificent facility is a key part of the A350 XWB programme which will help sustain and support thousands of jobs across the UK. I have been a frequent visitor to Airbus and am confident this will further cement Wales' growing reputation as a first class innovator and leader in the Aerospace and supply chain sector. The new A350 XWB facility is great news for the North Wales economy and a tangible example of the kind of private sector growth the Government is working to create."

The First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones said: “The opening of this world class facility is a major achievement and excellent news for Wales. The Welsh Government and Airbus are delighted to be able to celebrate such a significant event which underlines a major investment in Broughton and reinforces our reputation as a country with high end manufacturing skills and high value products”.

Tom Enders, Airbus Chief Executive, said: “The Airbus North Factory, a truly world-leading aircraft wing assembly plant, is a major pillar in the Airbus global setup. The opening today marks an important milestone for our A350 programme as we move towards the start of the aircraft final assembly. This new facility and all the teams working on building our A350’s carbon-fibre wings will play a vital role in delivering this new generation aircraft.”

The North Factory assembly line is dedicated to assembling the 31 metre long wings for all members of the A350 XWB Family which is scheduled to enter service by the end of 2013. Currently employing 6,000 people, the 700 acre Airbus site at Broughton specialises in wing production and has a proud tradition of aerospace manufacture going back over 70 years. Over £1.8 bn has been invested into the site in the past decade ensuring it is one of the most modern manufacturing facilities of its type anywhere in the world.

Above: A350 XWB 32 metres by six metres lower wing cover, largest single composite part in commercial aviation at the new wing factory Broughton, Wales (13 October 2011). Photo by M. Chainey © Airbus S.A.S 2011

Factory covers over 46,000 square metres.
58,000 metres of cable have been installed, this would reach from Broughton to Manchester
8,000 tonnes of steelwork were used to build the factory
250,000 bolts hold the building together
Optimised for energy savings, the factory’s power comes in part from three large solar tracking arrays and a wood pellet biomass power plant boiler

Airbus in the UK and its supply chain provide supplies and services worth nearly £1.5 bn annually to the UK economy. Around 10,000 people work for Airbus in the UK with 100,000 UK jobs supported through its wider supply chain.