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Airbus is to invest £48m in its manufacturing facility in Broughton, North Wales, UK, to develop new systems and technologies for aircraft wings.

The proposed investment is part of Airbus’s £100m joint investment with the UK and Welsh governments.

The aircraft manufacturer will work with the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) on various R&D projects that involve manufacturing processes and technologies.

ATI is a £2bn initiative between industry and the government to tackle challenges and strengthen the UK’s capabilities to work on aerospace programmes.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron said: "Aerospace is a real cornerstone of British business, supporting over 100,000 jobs across the UK and is worth over £27bn to our economy every year.

"The aerospace industry is so important to Wales and we need to make sure that the skills of our workforce move at the pace of technological development in this field."

The Welsh Government will provide Airbus with £8.1m package to support training in Broughton.

Wales First Minister Carwyn Jones said: "The aerospace industry is so important to Wales and we need to make sure that the skills of our workforce move at the pace of technological development in this field.

"This funding will help safeguard jobs at Broughton and ensure we remain at the cutting-edge of new technology and innovation in a fiercely competitive global market."

Airbus Broughton plant head Paul McKinlay said: "Airbus places great importance on training its workforce and this funding will support development of skills and expertise and ensure Wales is ready to take on the challenges the next generation of technology will bring."

Airbus designs and manufactures wings for its commercial aircraft at its facilities in Filton and Broughton.

Image: Airbus will work together with the Aerospace Technology Institute on various R&D projects. Photo: courtesy of Aerospace Technology Institute.

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