Prime Minister's praise for workforce as £326m order announced at Airbus
THE Prime Minister praised the work of aviation workers in Bristol on a trip to the Far East yesterday.
David Cameron was on the second leg of a trade mission when he announced an airline in Indonesia has signed a multi-million deal with Airbus.
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Prime Minister David Cameron in front of a Garuda Indonesia Airlines Airbus on his arrival at Jakarta Airport Picture: Stefan Rousseau /PA Wire
As well as visiting Indonesia, Mr Cameron has been to Japan and will travel on to Malaysia and Singapore later today.
The aim of the trip has been to build on trade links between the UK and fast-growing foreign markets.
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And Mr Cameron pointed to Airbus as a shining example of how to build links and tap into business opportunities across the globe.
The announcement that Airbus has landed a £326 million order for 11 A330 from the airline Garuda was conveniently timed to coincide with the high-level visit.
And the Prime Minister used the opportunity to talk up the skills of the plane manufacturer's UK workforce.
Mr Cameron said: "This deal between Airbus and Garuda Indonesian Airlines is good news for the UK aerospace industry.
"It will safeguard jobs at the design facility near Bristol and the manufacturing plant in North Wales.
"It is testament to the expertise of Airbus's British workforce and a vote of confidence in Britain's manufacturing base."
He added: "I hope it will offer other British companies involved in the £1.5-billion supply chain the opportunity to secure more contracts."
Conservative MP Jack Lopresti's constituency includes the Filton factory. He said: "I am delighted at today's news. Last year Airbus had a record year for orders and today's announcement confirms that Airbus continues to go from strength to strength – it's great news for the UK and great news for all those who work at the Airbus site in Filton.
"This is the first time a UK Prime Minister has attended a signing ceremony for an Airbus aircraft deal and is a demonstration of the Government's commitment to UK manufactured exports and firms such as Airbus. It's a very proud moment for Airbus and for our local area which contributes so much to the aviation industry."
Tom Williams, who is head of the company in the UK, said: "This is a boost for Airbus in the UK where the wings are designed and assembled and the landing gear and fuel systems are developed and tested.
"Asia is a key market, and we expect there to be significant demand from the region in the future.
"The A330 is an immensely popular aircraft with operators and passengers alike, with proven high levels of efficiency and passenger comfort, and unbeatable operating costs."
Comments
by lolly60
Friday, April 13 2012, 10:26AM
“But they soon will be wont they”
by FiltonInsider
Friday, April 13 2012, 10:05AM
“What spin!
This order for 11 aircraft will protect jobs for just over a month. Broughton makes the wings for the A330, and it pumps out 8 sets per month - they are flown to Toulouse for final assembly. Bits for the wing are built at Filton and travel by road to Broughton.
The bulk of the wealth will go to Countries that have a share in Airbus (or more correctly it's parent EADS). The UK will see a benefit that amounts only to a small fraction of the total.
I really wish, that one day, we'll start seeing the bigger picture. We should be aiming to be more involved. We should be making planes. Airbus is a whopping business, which has record orders. We have a tiny, tiny stake in it. We should be looking to play a bigger role.
Cameron is simply spinning this as a good news story because he's desperate to show they are helping manufacturing. They are not.”
by dtiley
Thursday, April 12 2012, 8:05PM
“Intriguing David Cameron is on tour with Airbus, and Tom Williams, a key player in selling Filton Manufacturing off to a 'risk sharing partner' after they cocked up the wiring and systems on the A380 in France and Germany and nearly bankrupt the whole company.
Let's hope for a change of heart here now, is this a change of strategy for all concerned? Lets see our Govt. become a stakeholder in Airbus along with the other European Govts. Lets get protectionist like them and keep work in the UK and Filton rather than let it go to S Korea.
Lets see Jack Lopresti now finally truly support Filton Manufacturing and its voters. Lets see Jack at last pick up his invitations to visit Rolls Royce T/U.
Lets have a big cheer for the workers at GKN who actually now manufacture these parts for the A330 wings in Filton and despatch them to Airbus Manufacturing at Broughton. Lets have a big cheer for the people at GKN who are working so hard to keep Filton Manufacturing despite being sold off by Airbus to a 'risk sharing partner'.
Lets put ***do7/Lolly 60/David/Lorraine Johnson straight, no wings are transported by boat or rail from Filton and never have been, the wings for the A400M are transported by air by Airbus from 'our' Airfield, yes, when the airfield probably closes they will travel by road down the A38 to a blahdy big boat at Avonmouth/Portbury and then make their way across Europe and its seas to Seville in Spain who'd just lurve to do the whole job themselves, along with their Government who wisely remained a key stakeholder in Airbus to support manufacturing in their country and provide work and profits for their people.
Over to you Dave n Jack. Support Filton UK MANUFACTURING.
Dave Tiley Current Aerospace Chair Unite Filton GKN/Airbus Branch 1047.”
by Stagnate
Thursday, April 12 2012, 1:15PM
“'It will safeguard jobs at the design facility near Bristol and the manufacturing plant in North Wales.
It is testament to the expertise of Airbus's British workforce and a vote of confidence in Britain's manufacturing base.'
That is until it becomes commercially or politically expedient to move it elsewhere .....”
by simon12345678
Thursday, April 12 2012, 11:47AM
“pompous right-wing toryboy. This has nothing to do with you”
by yiddo7
Thursday, April 12 2012, 11:36AM
“And what with the Airfield shutting at the end of the year they will( and have been doing so for ages) move it all by train and ship so no problems in that department.”
by yiddo7
Thursday, April 12 2012, 10:28AM
“Good news for once well done all”