Airbus is expanding its Broughton wing factory in North Wales, converting its former A380 wing production hall into an A321 assembly line to support a global ramp-up in single-aisle aircraft output.
The converted facility, due to be finished by the end of 2026, will house six wing production jigs, an equipping line and a paint shop. It is intended to help work through a backlog of around 7,500 A320 Family aircraft, about 75% of which are A321s.
The hall previously built wings for the A380 superjumbo, the double-deck airliner Airbus stopped producing in 2021 as demand for very large aircraft faded.
Airbus has created around 480 new high-value jobs across the Broughton site in 2026, including 250 in the refurbished factory, adding to a 6,000-strong workforce. The company said the investment reinforces its long-term commitment to Wales and the UK’s position in the global aerospace industry.
Broughton, which Airbus calls its “Home of Wings” and which also hosts next-generation wing research, has built the new line as an advanced manufacturing environment, with operators feeding into its ergonomics and technology integration.
Jerome Blandin, head of Airbus Wing, said, “We aren’t just talking about a ramp-up, we’re putting the infrastructure in place to support it. Around the world today, an A320 Family aircraft takes off or lands every two seconds, with wings designed and built in the UK. Investing in our capacity strengthens our industrial footprint, creates high value jobs that support the wider UK aerospace sector and ensures we remain competitive in the years to come.”
Airbus is increasing single-aisle output toward a target of 75 aircraft a month, known as rate 75. The first wing on the new Broughton line is already under way, and all the jigs are expected to be operational by the end of the year.
The A321 is the largest member of the A320 Family, and its long-range A321XLR variant also relies on Broughton-built wings. The work follows a recent multi-million-pound investment in Airbus’s Belfast site to expand wing manufacturing and composite capabilities for the A220.
