British Prime Minister David Cameron officially opened Airbus’ new £400 million wing factory in Wales on October 13th, a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility which will assemble the wings for Airbus’ advanced new A350 XWB long-range aircraft family.
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.
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 £3 billion 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.