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Praise of Airbus Success Inspires Confidence for British Firms and Workers
01 Jan 2005
"The British contribution to Airbus consolidates our reputation as makers of some of the world's finest, smartest aircraft and it represents the skills and talents of companies across the UK", said Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt at the unveiling of the new Airbus A380 in France this month.
With nearly 150 orders on the books with another 70 possible, the world's largest civil aviation project is already a British and European manufacturing success story. Airbus activity has helped create and secure jobs at 400 British firms for some 21,000 highly skilled UK workers, and indirectly will support a further 41,000 British jobs.
The UK has also designed and built some of the most complex and technologically advanced parts of the plane: the 46m wings from Broughton; and the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines built in Derby, one of the biggest aeroengines in the world, which will power the A380 on her maiden flight.
Industry Minister Jacqui Smith, who also attended the unveiling said: "The workers in the West Midlands firms that have put this together are rightly proud of their achievement.
They are clear evidence that UK modern hi-tech manufacturing is still a world beater. The Airbus A380 is a visionary project and I'm proud that the role that the West Midlands has played in its construction. From the development of the wheels and brakes, and the design of some of the flight control systems, to the development of the insulation panels.
The A380 has received £530 million from the UK government in launch investment to design and develop the wings. This money has to be repaid within 17 years at a real rate of interest. The Government also committed £250 million to Rolls Royce to help develop the A380's Trent 900 engines (which also included support for the development of the Trent 600 for Boeing's 747 and 767 aircraft).
www.airbus.com
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