Scotland's advanced aerospace capability and 750 jobs have been safeguarded with two major contract wins for Spirit AeroSystems at Prestwick.
The former BAE Systems plant, sold to Canadian-owned Spirit two years ago, has strengthened its existing relationship with Airbus by landing work on current and new aircraft over the next seven to nine years. Prestwick's continuing work on the A320 will be worth $1.7bn (£900m) to 2015, and it will grab a high-value share of a $2bn (£1bn) contract to build the wings for the new- generation A350 XWB (Xtra Wide-Body) which will last until 2017.
Spirit Europe has signed a contract with Airbus to design and produce a major composite wing structure for the A350, with the wing leading edge structure designed and assembled primarily in Ayrshire.
Spirit's recently announced US facility in Kinston, North Carolina, will build another part of the wing, while lowerskill sub-assemblies will go to a facility in Malaysia.
The 32-metre wing structure will have a high 50per cent carbonfibre content, making it lighter and more fuel-efficient.
"We already have a long history of producing major wing structures in the UK for current Airbus models such as the A320 and A380, " commented Neil McManus, vice-president and managing director of Spirit Europe. "This contract win means that we will be playing just as vital a role in their newest model."
The contract further increases Spirit's involvement on the A350 XWB, having recently announced that it will design and build the large composite centre fuselage section in North Carolina.
McManus said the contract extension on the A320 models was "fantastic news for aerospace manufacturing in the UK". He added: "We now have visibility on a product line that has been a core part of our business for a number of years and is set to be an integral part of our future."
A spokesman for Spirit in Ayrshire said the A320 was the Airbus workhorse with the highest volume production, for which the UK sourced "a highly significant proportion of the wing content".
Spirit had beaten off rivals to renew a long-term relationship with Airbus for the A350 programme, which envisaged some 800 wing sets being produced. There would be "some specialist recruitment", but more importantly a safeguarding of existing jobs and a protecting of the core business.
The company announced last year that it was opening a maintenance hub for Europe and the Middle East at the site.
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