Airbus could restart plans for Broughton helicopter factory, according to reports

Airbus is ‘preparing to revive plans’ to build a new helicopter factory in Broughton, as part of its renewed bid to secure a £1bn Ministry of Defence (MoD) contract.

The aerospace giant is said to be re-entering the race to replace the RAF’s Puma helicopter fleet, after previously withdrawing from the bidding process last month, The Daily Telegraph reports.

At the time, Airbus had cited unfavourable terms within the MoD’s tender as the reason for its exit.

However, it is reported that Bruno Even, head of Airbus Helicopters, has presented a new proposal aimed at addressing concerns around the Government’s ongoing defence spending review, according to The Daily Telegraph.

The revised bid includes resurrecting plans for a new factory at Airbus Broughton, which would create hundreds of jobs.

If Airbus is successful, the proposed facility would manufacture a fleet of H175M helicopters.

The company also plans to maintain the RAF’s existing Puma fleet for several more years, delivering potential cost savings that Airbus hopes will make its bid more attractive to the MoD.

Airbus is yet to comment officially on any revised proposal, however, Mr Even is quoted by The Daily Telegraph, as saying:

“We are open to discussions depending on the conclusion of the defence strategy review. If there is a will from the MoD side to revisit the future of this campaign, we are ready. The Pumas can continue to fly until 2035, and we have committed to continue to support them.”

Airbus had originally put forward the idea of a Broughton-based plant during earlier negotiations with the Government.

However, the company withdrew from the competition in August, deeming the project commercially unviable.

Since then, only Italy’s Leonardo, which operates Britain’s sole helicopter plant in Yeovil, has remained in the running for the contract.

Mr Even acknowledged the challenges Airbus faced in the initial tender process.

“We took the decision to withdraw only after concluding that we could not provide long-term returns to our business, address the requirements in terms of social value and industry capacity, and still have a fair chance to win,” he explained.

Airbus would re-enter the competition alongside Leonardo, which manufactures the AW149 helicopter at its Yeovil facility.

The MoD had initially sought up to 44 helicopters under the contract, but that figure has since been revised to between 25 and 30 aircraft.

While Airbus does not currently manufacture helicopters in the UK, it has maintained a significant presence through maintenance, delivery, and training operations for over 50 years. RAF, Navy, and Army pilots train exclusively on Airbus models, and the company supplies the majority of civil helicopters operating in Britain, including police aircraft and air ambulances.

Mr Even remained optimistic about the potential of the H175M to replace the aging Puma fleet, a mainstay of RAF battlefield operations since the 1970s.

“In terms of performance, competitiveness, and value creation, including the commitment we took to set up industrial capability, we are convinced that it is the best proposal,” he said.

Mr Even’s comments came after the opening of Airbus’s new £55m headquarters and hangar at Oxford Airport, attended by the Prince of Wales.