Airbus is converting its former A380 wing production facility at Broughton into a new A321 production line as it builds the industrial capacity required to support rising A320 Family output. The new facility will house six wing production jigs alongside an equipping line and paint shop, with all six jigs due to be operational by the end of 2026. Around 480 new roles have been created across Broughton during the year, including 250 positions associated with the refurbished factory.
The investment comes as Airbus works towards production of between 70 and 75 A320 Family aircraft per month by the end of 2027, before stabilising at rate 75. Its A320 Family backlog stood at 7,577 aircraft at the end of August, including 5,691 A321neo aircraft. For ANT Industries, which manufactures precision aero engine components from its Warwickshire facility, the scale of investment provides another clear indication of the production volumes moving through global aerospace.
Managing Director Shaun Rowley said: “We are seeing the aerospace ramp-up translate into real activity throughout the supply chain. ANT is operating at record levels and our order book reflects the confidence and demand that is running through the sector.
“When an aircraft manufacturer commits this level of investment to additional production capacity, that creates a long-term requirement for the engineering capability sitting behind those aircraft. Every increase in build rate has to be supported by an extensive manufacturing network producing highly complex components to exacting aerospace standards.”
The Broughton development forms part of a much wider expansion of Airbus’s industrial footprint. A second A320 Family final assembly line opened in Toulouse this year, while the first aircraft from Airbus’s second Tianjin line was delivered in September. Airbus has also invested in its Belfast wing operation to support the planned increase in A220 production. That activity is being felt among specialist manufacturers serving aircraft and aero engine programmes, where sustained production requirements are supporting investment in capacity, technology and skills.
ANT Industries has continued to develop its own manufacturing capability as volumes have grown, supporting increasingly demanding packages of aerospace work from its Atherstone operation.
Rowley continued: “Aerospace programmes work over long horizons. The investments being made today tell us a great deal about the production environment the supply chain is preparing to serve over the coming years.
“For ANT, that means continuing to invest in the capability, people and processes required by our customers. We are incredibly proud to manufacture aero engine components here in Atherstone and to see our business reaching record levels as the global industry expands.
“The encouraging part is the breadth of what is happening. We are seeing investment in wings, final assembly, engine programmes and manufacturing capacity across several international aerospace markets. It creates a very active environment for companies such as ANT that have built their reputation around specialist aerospace engineering.”
Airbus reported 886 gross commercial aircraft orders during the first half of 2026, compared with 494 during the equivalent period in 2025, while commercial aircraft deliveries reached 351. The manufacturer has said it is ramping up across its businesses in response to demand for civil and military products. For Rowley, the figures underline the importance of maintaining manufacturing capacity throughout the UK aerospace supply chain as higher production rates move from planning into factory output.
He added: “Broughton is a major part of the UK’s aerospace manufacturing heritage and it is good to see fresh investment preparing the site for its next chapter.
“There is a tremendous amount of engineering behind every aircraft that leaves a final assembly line. Companies throughout the supply chain contribute to that achievement. At ANT, our focus is on doing our part exceptionally well and building the capacity to support customers as their requirements continue to grow.”