Airbus UK
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Predecessor | BAE Systems UK operations (from Airbus Industrie GIE consortium) |
| Founded | 2001 |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Aircraft wings, fuel systems, landing gear components |
| Owner | Airbus |
Number of employees | Approximately 13,000 |
Airbus UK (previously known as EADS UK) is a fully owned subsidiary of Airbus, headquartered in the United Kingdom. The company focuses on the engineering and production of wings for Airbus aircraft. When Airbus (then operating as EADS) was established as a joint-stock company in 2001, BAE Systems transferred its UK operations from the Airbus Industrie GIE consortium to the newly formed corporation in return for a 20% ownership interest. These assets became EADS UK. In 2006, EADS purchased BAE's 20% holding, making EADS UK a fully owned subsidiary. The firm adopted the Airbus UK name in 2015 following EADS’s rebranding to Airbus.
Airbus UK manages two primary locations dedicated to the design and manufacture of sophisticated wings for the entire Airbus aircraft range, including comprehensive design responsibilities and the supply of fuel systems and, for most models, landing gear components. Approximately 13,000 employees work at Filton, where engineering and some manufacturing take place, and at Broughton, where major wing parts are produced and assembled.
History
Hawker Siddeley, which merged with British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) to create British Aerospace in 1977, played a key role in the original Airbus A300 project. Despite the British government withdrawing support in 1969, Hawker Siddeley continued wing production due to advanced development stages and limited alternatives. BAe re-entered the Airbus Industrie GIE consortium in 1979. After the merger of Airbus Industrie’s French and German parent companies into EADS in 2001, Airbus became a subsidiary primarily owned by EADS, with BAE Systems retaining a 20% minority share.
Development of A380 wings by Airbus UK commenced in August 2002.
In April 2006, BAE Systems revealed intentions to divest its Airbus shares to EADS. Price disagreements delayed negotiations, prompting BAE to invoke a put option that appointed Rothschild for an independent valuation. On 2 July 2006, Rothschild valued BAE’s stake at £1.9 billion (€2.75 billion), which was lower than anticipated. After further consideration, BAE agreed on 6 September 2006 to sell its shares for £1.87 billion (€2.75 billion), subject to shareholder approval received on 4 October 2006.
Sites
The UK was chosen by Airbus for wing design and production due to its strong heritage in advanced wing engineering originating from Hawker Siddeley Trident (D.H.121), developed by De Havilland. Initial Airbus wing designs were created by De Havilland teams based at Hatfield, with wing assembly taking place at Broughton, a De Havilland manufacturing facility. After Hawker Siddeley merged into British Aerospace and Hatfield closed during the 1990s, wing design activities moved to Filton, formerly home to the Bristol Aeroplane Company.
Filton
Situated on the former Bristol Aeroplane Company site, the Filton facility served as the final assembly location for British-built Concorde aircraft (with French-built Concordes assembled in Toulouse, now also an Airbus location).
By 2011, over 4,500 employees were based at Airbus Filton, overseeing wing structure design, fuel system development, and landing gear integration. The site also conducts manufacturing tasks including wing assembly for the A400M, along with aerodynamic research and testing activities. In 2008, most manufacturing operations at Filton were sold to GKN, which continues producing components for Airbus as a subcontractor. In 2011, Airbus unveiled plans for a new "Aerospace Park" office complex at Filton aimed at strengthening its aerospace presence within the UK.
Broughton
The Airbus facility at Broughton, originally founded in 1939 as a shadow factory producing the Vickers Wellington and Avro Lancaster bombers, was subsequently managed by De Havilland, where aircraft such as the Mosquito and Comet were manufactured.
By 2011, the Broughton site had a workforce exceeding 6,500 employees, mainly engaged in production activities. This plant is responsible for assembling wings for nearly all Airbus models, with the exceptions of the A320 assembled in China, the A220 produced in Belfast, and the A400M constructed in Filton. Once wing assembly is finished, the components are shipped using Airbus Beluga or BelugaXL transport aircraft to final assembly locations in Hamburg Finkenwerder and Toulouse.
Aircraft
- Airbus A300 (no longer in production)
- Airbus A310 (no longer in production)
- Airbus A310 MRTT
- Airbus A320 family
- Airbus A330
- Airbus A330 MRTT
- Airbus A340 (no longer in production)
- Airbus A350
- Airbus A380 (no longer in production)
- Airbus A400M
- Airbus Beluga
See also
- Airbus UK Broughton F.C., a football club affiliated with Airbus UK located in Wales.