Airbus eyes buying A220 wing plant

Airbus has become a potential buyer for Bombardier’s plant in Belfast, Northern Ireland. New CEO Guillaume Faury expresses interest in acquiring the A220 wing production site. Bombardier announced in early May that it was seeking to divest its facilities in Northern Ireland and Morocco. According to a report from the UK’s Guardian newspaper, Faury said that this would be an option for Airbus, effectively leading to the manufacturer taking control of the wing production for its A220 airliner, as well as engine covers for its A320 series. Purchase of the Belfast operation would add to Airbus’s operations in the UK, which include wing manufacture for most of its commercial aircraft products at Broughton, North Wales, as well as production and design of wings at Filton, near Bristol. (Source: Jane's Defense Weekly, 05/20/19, The Guardian, 05/16/19) Gulf Coast note: Airbus is building a second A220 assembly line in Mobile, Ala.