Airbus is to cut around 1,600 jobs in the UK over the next four years under restructuring plans, it was announced today.
The plane maker said 10,00 jobs will be cut across its 16 European sites, with those in France and Germany being hardest hit.
The 1,600 cuts in the UK will be split mainly between Broughton in North Wales and Filton, near Bristol, with half expected to be among contract staff rather than directly employed workers.
The bad news on jobs was tempered with an announcement of a new centre of excellence for wing production at Filton.
Parent firm EADS said the restructuring plan, called Power8, had been drawn up to help Airbus face the challenge of the US dollar weakness, increased competitive pressures and the financial burden linked to delays in the A380 superjumbo programme.
"The core objective of Power8 is to make Airbus more efficient and competitive, so as to produce the most advanced and profitable products, and to serve its customers better in the future", said EADS chief executive Louis Gallois.
Airbus chief finance officer Peter Ring added: "Without establishing Power8 quickly, profitability will drift significantly short of industry standards and of reasonable expectations. This is an unsustainable and unacceptable situation. Power8 is designed to reduce that gap."
