The recent news that 1,600 Airbus jobs will be lost from Filton and Broughton as part of the 10,000 the company is shedding across Europe is disappointing.

However, the UK will remain a centre of excellence for wing and this is good news for the longer term future of South West England's aerospace sector.

The South West of England Regional Development Agency (RDA), together with the West of England Aerospace Forum (WEAF), worked hard to lobby for Filton's future and the announcement represents a partial success.

To date, all Airbus wings have been designed and assembled in the UK and the bulk of manufacturing takes place here. As such the UK has led the way in the manufacture and design of the new generation of composite components. The recent decision will consolidate this expertise and cement the UK in its global leading role in aerospace technologies.

Jane Henderson, chief executive of the South West RDA, said: “It is disappointing that jobs will be lost and we will continue to work closely with Airbus to minimise the impact of this news.

“More positively, the announcement marks the culmination of our work to secure the next generation of wing technology in the UK. Much of this progress can be attributed directly to the work undertaken in South West England in developing composite technologies.

“In 2002 the South West RDA invested heavily in developing the first of the Government's National Composite Network centres at Filton, Bristol. This investment has now paid off and we will continue to work closely with industry to further support the DTI's technology programme and encourage the development of world-leading technologies in the region.”

John Janke, chairman of WEAF, said: “The South West has secured an opportunity that reflects the effort put in by industry, the South West RDA and WEAF over many years and reaffirms the position of South West England as the premier region for innovation and technology in aerospace.

“This will help us focus on pushing innovation and technology in the supply chain. We will be helping SMEs to attain this, and the way they can do that is by collaborating to achieve more than they would do individually. WEAF can assist in bringing them together to share knowledge.”

“Every part of change in our industry creates its own opportunities and we are determined that suppliers in the South West are equipped to retain and expand their business with the restructured Airbus.”

Current employment in the South West aerospace sector accounts for 27 per cent of the UK total and is the largest cluster in the UK. This skilled workforce has been responsible for some of the most forward-thinking developments in aircraft design and manufacture for almost a century.

Both organisations said that they would be considering the announcement in detail to better understand the implications.

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