Airbus will invest £150 million to convert its former A380 wing plant in Broughton, Wales, into a production line for the A321, with the upgrade due to finish by the end of 2026. The move will reconfigure the Flintshire site with six wing production jigs, an equipping line and a paint shop as Airbus expands capacity for its best-selling A320-family single-aisle jets.
Production of the first wing has already begun at the plant, which previously supported A380 wing manufacturing. Airbus is targeting stronger output across the A320 family, where the A321 accounts for roughly 70% of a backlog of about 7,500 aircraft.
The investment is also expected to support about 480 new jobs in 2026, including 250 positions at the refurbished facility. Airbus is building the new line to help raise A320-family production rates further as demand for the narrowbody programme remains high.