Airbus pledges to keep wing production in UK:

British industry received a major boost after Airbus boss Guillaume Faury said it had turned the page on its opposition to Brexit and pledged to keep aircraft wings production in Britain.

The Toulouse-based aircraft maker issued serious warnings about the potential consequences of leaving the European Union, raising fears for the future of its Broughton, North Wales plant, where nearly 5,000 people build wings.

But yesterday, speaking to London executives from the UK Aviation Club, Faury said it would remain in Wales – and relied heavily on British engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce.

“We don’t intend to change this,” he said. He would then have met Prime Minister Liz Truss and Minister of Economic Affairs Jacob Rees-Mogg.

A source said: “It’s all part of this government’s mission to boost investment and opportunities for the country, boost growth and create new and better jobs.”

Truss has put growth at the heart of its agenda, but yesterday’s GDP data showed the economy contracted in August.

Separate data this week showed unemployment at its lowest level in nearly 50 years.

Airbus employs nearly 11,000 people in the UK at more than 20 locations. More than 86,000 new supply chain jobs depend on its operations, which have an annual UK turnover of more than £4 billion.

In 2019, Airbus called its handling of Brexit a “disgrace” and warned it could pull out of the UK.

Then CEO Tom Enders said: ‘Please don’t listen to the madness of the Brexiteers, who claim that because we have huge factories here, we won’t move and we will always be here.

.They’re wrong.’