Airbus plays down A350 job fears

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Airbus says it expects 20% of the work on its new A350 airliner will come to the UK.

Union Amicus had warned thousands of jobs at Airbus's Broughton factory could be at risk from plans to move production to Spain or Germany.

The Flintshire plant, which employs 7,000 staff, is waiting to hear if it has secured work on the A350 jet.

Airbus said any speculation over jobs related to the Filton plant near Bristol and not Broughton.

The deal to build the wings of the new long-haul twin-engine A350 could be worth £100m to the Broughton factory.

The jet will have new lightweight, composite carbon which required new technology to build them.

In terms of final assembly [of the wings], I don't think the work will go anywhere else but Broughton Mark Tami MP

The technology is already in place in rival Spanish and German plants, but not in Broughton.

Bernie Hamilton, from Amicus, had expressed fears that Airbus did not intend to invest in this technology in the UK.

Mark Tami, Labour MP for Alyn and Deeside, said he had spoken to Airbus in Broughton and felt the general consensus is that the A350 wings will still be assembled in Wales.

However, he said there was speculation some wing parts were originally expected to be built in Filton may be moved to Germany or Spain.

"I think the position is that clearly this is extremely important that we achieve the maximum work share on the A350," he said.

"In terms of final assembly [of the wings], I don't think the work will go anywhere else but Broughton."

Final decision

But Mr Tami warned that Broughton needed to secure as much manufacturing work as possible to ensure the long-term future of the plant.

Robert Dowie, works convenor for Amicus at the plant, said he hoped to learn more later on Monday whether the work would come to the factory.

He said: "I'm never confident - it almost feels like a death from a thousand cuts if we don't get it."

In December, £34m of investment at the factory aimed at developing greener aircraft was confirmed.

The decision on where the A350 work will go is expected in February.