BROUGHTON— Airbus is investing £150 million to convert its former Airbus A380 wing production facility into a dedicated A321 wing production line at its Broughton site in North Wales.
The project is scheduled for completion by the end of 2026 and will support the manufacturer’s wider effort to increase A320 Family production.
The investment will also create around 480 new jobs at Broughton during 2026, including 250 positions linked directly to the refurbished factory.
The new recruitment will add to Airbus’ existing workforce of about 6,000 employees at the site, strengthening its manufacturing presence in Wales.
A380 Factory Reworked for the A321
The facility, known as the West Factory, opened in 2003 after Airbus invested £350 million in the 83,500-square-metre building.
It was originally developed to assemble wings for the 555-seat A380, with the completed structures transported from North Wales to Toulouse for final aircraft assembly.
A380 wing production at Broughton ended in February 2020 as Airbus prepared to conclude the superjumbo programme.
The final wings left the site by barge for Mostyn before continuing their journey to Toulouse, marking the end of a major chapter in the factory’s history.
Airbus will now give the large manufacturing space a new role focused on its highest-volume commercial aircraft family.
The conversion reflects the growing need for additional wing production capacity as the company increases output of the A320 Family.
Airbus A321 Wing Production
Once the work is completed, the refurbished facility will contain six wing production jigs, an equipping line and a paint shop.
The equipment has been configured to support the A320 Family backlog, which stands at around 7,500 aircraft, with approximately 70% consisting of A321 variants.
Production of the first wing is already underway, while Airbus expects all six jigs to become operational by the end of the year.
The company has also involved employees in developing the new manufacturing environment, including decisions involving ergonomics and technology integration.
The additional capacity is intended to support Airbus’ planned global production ramp-up toward rate 75 for the A320 Family.
The programme’s scale makes efficient wing manufacturing at Broughton increasingly important to Airbus’ broader industrial network.
480 New Broughton Jobs
The 480 new positions planned for 2026 cover the wider Broughton operation, while 250 jobs will be based in the refurbished former A380 factory.
They will join the site’s existing 6,000-strong workforce and expand employment at one of the UK’s major aerospace manufacturing locations, the Daily Post reported.
Jerome Blandin, Head of Airbus Wing, said the investment would strengthen Airbus’ industrial capacity while creating high-value employment and supporting the wider UK aerospace sector.
He also linked the project to the company’s global production ramp-up and its target of reaching rate 75.
The Broughton project follows a separate multi-million-pound investment at Airbus’ Belfast facility, which is intended to expand wing manufacturing and advanced composite capabilities for the A220 programme.
Together, the investments underline Airbus’ efforts to expand its UK manufacturing footprint as demand for its commercial aircraft increases.
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