European aircraft manufacturer Airbus is to cut 10,000 jobs, including up to 1,000 in the UK, and close several production sites despite growing demand for its A320 aircraft.
The cuts come as production of Airbus’s 550-seat A380 ‘Superjumbo’ is hit by increasing delays, causing heavy losses at Airbus and parent company EADS.
By contrast the company is making more A320 aircraft than ever before, with production rising from 20 to 32 a month and expected to increase further.
Airbus is a pan-European group with sites in the UK and Spain, but with the bulk of production split between France and Germany, which own controlling stakes.
An announcement of the cuts was delayed last week by a political battle between the French and German governments over where the axe will fall.
However, the cuts may increase delays to the A380 if unions resist redundancies and plant closures. The first of the super-jumbos is expected to be delivered to Singapore Airlines in October.