Huge order boosts Belfast Airbus factory

Malaysian airline Air Asia has placed an order for 150 Airbus A220s, the wings of which are made in Belfast.

It is the single largest order ever made for the A220 and takes total orders beyond 1,000.

Aside from the wings, Belfast's Airbus operation also makes the mid-fuselage [centre section of the aircraft body] for the A220.

The Airbus plant is regarded as one of Northern Ireland's most important manufacturing facilities employing about 1,500 people and supporting more jobs in the local supply chain.

Airbus bought the factory in 2025, as part of a wider deal which led to the break up of Spirit Aerosystems.

Rival manufacturer Boeing also bought some of Spirit's Belfast assets and now employs the majority of the 3,500 staff at the site.

Earlier this year, the Airbus chief executive said the company was "committing a lot of cash" to Belfast to support the ramp up of A220 production.

Guillaume Faury said the plant also had to show it could be more competitive.

"It's very important to be successful on the ramp-up, to be with a high level of quality, and to be competitive.

"That's what we want for Belfast, but we count as well on the employees and the management of Belfast to contribute to the A220 and to be with a front foot forward to contribute to a good program."

Tony Fernandes, the entrepreneur behind Air Asia, said the range of A220 would allow the airline to serve new destinations.

"The A220 unlocks new markets and routes and brings us closer to building the world's first true low-cost network carrier," he added.

There is speculation in the aerospace industry that Airbus is on the verge of announcing a "stretch" version of the A220.

The current A220 has a maximum passenger capacity of 160 seats, while a "stretched" model could take that closer to 200.