Senedd: Aerospace backlog signals 13 years of work for Wales
A record backlog of more than 16,000 aircraft on order worldwide represents over 13 years of work for the UK aerospace sector, the Senedd was told today, in a signal of sustained demand for sites including Airbus at Broughton.
Rebecca Evans, the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, cited the figure during questions on the future of the aerospace industry in Wales.
“ADS, the voice of aerospace in the UK, tell us that the global aircraft backlog dominated by Airbus and Boeing has reached a record high, standing at 16,371 aircraft,” Ms Evans said. “That backlog can account for more than 13 years of work in the aerospace sector in the UK.”
Airbus’s Broughton factory is the largest single employer in the area, with around 4,500 workers producing wings for the company’s commercial aircraft range.
The site and its extensive supply chain across Flintshire and north-east Wales stand to benefit directly from the depth of that order book.
Ms Evans said the UK Government had extended the Aerospace Technology Institute programme with up to £2.3 billion of funding until 2035.
She pointed to the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre Cymru, next door to Airbus Broughton, which had been undertaking seven ATI funded projects in 2025.
“We absolutely welcome that UK Government funding to Wales,” Ms Evans said.
“Where we add value, we do so, and that’s through ensuring that we have robust supply chains and also that we understand what the skills needs are for industry and that we work with industry to meet those needs.”
She described the aerospace sector as “inextricably linked to defence” and said both were seen as areas of significant growth.
Eight universities and 10 further education colleges in Wales have specific aerospace and defence capabilities, she told the Chamber.
The question had been tabled by Peter Fox MS (Welsh Conservatives, Monmouth), who acknowledged growth in the sector but argued much of it was being driven by industry and UK level investment rather than the Welsh Government.
Mr Fox cited Safran expanding in Cwmbran and British Airways investing at Cardiff as examples of private sector led activity. He then challenged Ms Evans on the Welsh Government’s continued financial support for Cardiff Airport.
“Your Government is continuing to pour hundreds of millions of pounds of Welsh taxpayers’ pounds into Cardiff Airport,” Mr Fox said, “while failing to invest properly in the aerospace sector, which actually underpins the airport’s long-term success.”
He asked whether funding the airport instead of the wider sector risked “leaving the airport even more exposed in the future.”
Ms Evans declined to comment on Cardiff Airport directly, citing ongoing legal proceedings brought by Bristol Airport before the Competition Appeal Tribunal.
She focused her response on the broader sector opportunity, including what she described as “new and exciting developments as the sector transitions towards net zero.”
“We’re really well placed to exploit many of those opportunities,” Ms Evans said.
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