Airbus is switching part of its A320 wing production to another company in Korea, but it says it will not impact jobs at its Flintshire plant.
The Broughton factory employs more than 6,000 people, including about 200 on wing panels for the A320 aircraft.
Airbus described the decision to transferring non-core work to Korean Aerospace Industries as a “positive strategic business choice which recognises the increase in productivity and capacity resulting from a strong Airbus order book.” According to the company the move will allow its Broughton facility to focus resources on “key high value production areas, core competencies of wing assembly and equipping”.
Airbus said the 200 employees currently working on wing panels would be redeployed within the plant and high level work and final assembly of the A320 wings will continue to be carried out at Broughton.
In an interview with the BBC, Unite’s national officer for aerospace and shipbuilding, Ian Waddell, said: “This decision is a real blow for the UK aerospace industry. We have many UK companies that are ready, willing and able to carry out work for Airbus but who have missed out now that work is being sent offshore to Korea.”
The Airbus plant in Broughton, Wales, was opened last October by Prime Minister David Cameron.
