Spain has many options to manufacture the successor to the Airbus A320. We have advantages that our neighbors do not

Airbus is going to have to make a very relevant decision within its business in the next decade, and that may affect Spain more than we think, although in a good way. We are referring to where the aeronautical giant will manufacture the successor to the A320, the best-selling single-aisle aircraft in the world. In this sense, Spain is running as a strong candidate, and even the CEO of the group himself counted that the country has ballots for it.

Why this decision matters. The A320 is Airbus’ star product, the one that moves the bulk of its deliveries and the one that competes directly with Boeing in the highest volume segment of all commercial aviation. The program that replaces it will define Airbus’ industrial roadmap for decades, so the country that houses all its technological knowledge, investment and employment can give itself a good tooth in the teeth.

In this context, Guillaume Faury, CEO of Airbus, counted during his meeting with the media at the Getafe plant that “Spain has many cards in its hand to attract these investments.”

Where is Spain today? Airbus currently has eight centers and around 14,000 employees in Spain. The largest of them is the Getafe plant, the company’s headquarters in the country and its largest industrial facility in Spain, with nearly 10,000 workers. Added to this is the Illescas factory, specialized in carbon fiber structures, which would soon benefit from the A350 production increasegoing from 5-6 units to 12 in 2028.

There is also a relevant presence in Albacete and Seville. “Basically all the activities we have in Spain are growing,” counted Faury.

Advantages of Spain. Faury recognized that Spain presents “some competitive advantages over other European countries”, among them the progress in renewable energies, which can help contain energy costs, one of the factors that most concern the group on a continental scale.

The CEO claimed also that Europe pays between 2 and 2.5 times more for energy than the United States or China, being a gap that hinders the competitiveness of this industry on the continent. Therefore, in this context, Spain can be a great asset for the company. Added to this is a supply chain with years of experience, qualified labor and a good relationship with the Government, according to Faury himself.

But not everything is won. For Faury, the conditions that Spain must continue to meet for the award to be possible include competitive labor and energy costs, a reliable supply chain and a good availability of workers with the appropriate qualifications.

He also warns that the challenge of competitiveness cannot be addressed only from a national perspective, but rather a European one. “If we want to keep the industry in Europe in the long term, we have to simplify the regulatory framework and guarantee affordable and available energy,” pointed out the CEO. Consider In this sense, we must “take the bull by the horns” in the face of a situation that he described as urgent.

Cover image | Gabriel Goncalves

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