Union hails skills and hard work of Airbus workers after planemaker lands order for 36 A380 jets

Britain’s largest union, Unite hailed the skills and hard work of Airbus workers today after the airline Emirates signed a deal to buy up to 36 additional A380 aircraft.

Describing the news as a ‘fantastic boost’ Unite said the order should guarantee current production rates for the foreseeable future and secure jobs at Airbus’ Broughton site, where the super jumbo’s wings are made.

Commenting Unite assistant general secretary Steve Turner said: “This is fantastic news and will ensure the continued production of one the world’s best loved passenger airliners.

“It is a massive vote of confidence in the skills and continued hard work of Airbus workers and will secure jobs at the plane maker’s Broughton site in North Wales where they make the wings for the A380.

“Airbus workers will be delighted by this announcement and hopeful that more orders will follow to secure the production of this superb aircraft for many years to come.

“The UK’s aerospace workers have once again proved that they are among the best in the world.

The UK government must build on this good news for the sector, by stepping up and vigorously fighting the threat of job crushing US tariffs which could see thousands of jobs in the supply chain and at Bombardier in Northern Ireland going to the wall.”

Dubai-based Emirates Airline signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Thursday morning with Airbus to buy 20 A380s and an option for 16 more.

The deal was signed at the airline’s headquarters in Dubai by HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group, and John Leahy, Chief Operating Officer Customers, Airbus Commercial Aircraft.

Glad to announce a commitment from @Emirates for 20 #A380 & 16 options, worth US$16 billion at latest list prices. The A380 has contributed enormously to the airline’s growth and success while delighting passengers with a spacious, quiet cabin. https://t.co/yURhYChklZ #iflyA380 pic.twitter.com/OfyWCodzJ6

— Airbus (@Airbus) January 18, 2018

Sheikh Ahmed said: “We’ve made no secret of the fact that the A380 has been a success for Emirates. Our customers love it, and we’ve been able to deploy it on different missions across our network, giving us flexibility in terms of range and passenger mix.

He added: “Some of the new A380s we’ve just ordered will be used as fleet replacements. This order will provide stability to the A380 production line. We will continue to work closely with Airbus to further enhance the aircraft and onboard product, so as to offer our passengers the best possible experience. The beauty of this aircraft is that the technology and real estate on board gives us plenty of room to do something different with the interiors.”

“I would like to thank Emirates, HH Sheikh Ahmed, Tim Clark and Adel Al-Redha for their continued support of the A380,” said John Leahy, Chief Operating Officer Customers, Airbus Commercial Aircraft. “This aircraft has contributed enormously to Emirates’ growth and success since 2008 and we are delighted that it will continue to do so. This new order underscores Airbus’ commitment to produce the A380 at least for another ten years. I’m personally convinced more orders will follow Emirates’ example and that this great aircraft will be built well into the 2030s.”

Airbus said earlier this week unless it can find more buyers for the A380 superjumbo, the program will come to an end.

The planemaker is set to build 12 A380s this year and a further eight in 2019 to fulfil existing orders but Airbus says the minimum annual number it is prepared to build each year is six.

Emirates took delivery of their 100th A380 during 2017, they are the main customer for the plane which can take up 615 passengers on long-haul flights.

Speculation grew that Emirates was set to announce an order for up to 36 A380 jets at the Dubai Airshow last October.