MPs call for Airbus plane order to be ditched

A military aircraft project which employs 1,000 Bristol workers should be ditched, MPs have demanded.

In a Commons defence debate politicians queued up criticise the amount of money that has been "wasted" on the severely-delayed A400M transport plane.

The aircraft's wings and composite parts are being designed and made by Airbus and GKN at Filton, where about 900 workers are involved in the project.

A further 100 at Rolls-Royce in Patchway make the engines.

The first A400M was originally meant to be delivered this year but Airbus recently announced that it would not be ready until at least 2012.

The Government, which has ordered 25 of the aircraft, has already warned Airbus owner EADS, which is running the £18.5bn contract, that it is "concerned" about delays and is considering rival Boeing's C-17 to plug the gap.

Conservative MP Ben Wallace said the A400M should be "the first candidate for cancellation" to save money.

But Labour's Lindsay Hoyle called for the Government to put more effort into sorting out the problems instead of shelving the project.