Airbus will invest £150 million to convert its former A380 wing-production facility in Broughton, Flintshire, into an A321 production line, expanding UK manufacturing capacity for the A320 family. The project is due to finish by the end of 2026 and will add wing-production jigs, an equipping line and a paint shop as Airbus works through a backlog of about 7,500 A320-family aircraft, around 70% of them A321s.
The Broughton site currently employs about 6,000 people and the expansion is expected to support about 480 additional jobs in 2026, including 250 at the refurbished facility. The move forms part of Airbus’ wider UK industrial push and follows a separate capacity expansion commitment at its Belfast operation, where the group is increasing wing-manufacturing output and advanced composite capability.
Broughton has long been central to Airbus wing production, and the conversion of the former A380 line gives the group more room to support single-aisle demand without shifting capacity elsewhere in its European network. The investment also underlines the importance of UK sites to the global A320-family ramp-up as airlines continue to take delivery of high-demand variants such as the A321.