Airbus is converting its former A380 wing production hall at Broughton, North Wales, into a new A321 assembly line, due for completion by the end of 2026. The upgrade supports a global ramp-up in single-aisle aircraft output and helps work through a backlog of around 7,500 A320 Family aircraft, about 75% of which are A321s.

Airbus is headquartered in Toulouse, France, and listed on Euronext Paris (ticker: AIR). For full-year 2025, the group reported revenue of 73.4 billion euros and EBIT Adjusted of 7.1 billion euros, with a commercial aircraft order backlog of 8,754 aircraft valued at 619 billion euros.

The converted facility will house six wing production jigs, an equipping line and a paint shop. The hall previously built wings for the A380 superjumbo, which 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 workforce of 6,000. The company said the investment reinforces its long-term commitment to Wales and the UK's position in the global aerospace industry.

Airbus is increasing single-aisle output toward a target of 75 aircraft a month, known internally as rate 75. The first wing on the new Broughton line is already under way, with all jigs expected to be operational by the end of the year.

"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," said Jerome Blandin, head of Airbus Wing.

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 at Airbus's Belfast site to expand wing manufacturing and composite capabilities for the A220.

For the sector, the Broughton conversion adds to a wave of UK wing investment as Airbus works to close the gap between order backlogs and delivery capacity across its single-aisle programme.

Source: Aerospace Testing International / Airbus