THE WELSH Government will do all it can to support an aircraft firm, a minister has said.

Airbus announced on Thursday that it will end production of its flagship A380 superjumbo.

In response, Minister for Economy and Transport Ken Skates said: “Airbus is one of the crown jewels of the Welsh economy.

"The many thousands of high quality jobs it supports both directly at its sites in Broughton and in Newport, as well as in the wider supply chain, are hugely important to Wales.

"I am in regular dialogue with senior management at Airbus and spoke again with Broughton Plant Manager Paul McKinlay this morning.

“While news that production of the Airbus A380 will come to an end in 2021 is disappointing, I know that the superb management and workforce, the high productivity levels of the plants in Wales and their excellent industrial relations put them in a strong position to develop for the future.

“I have today reiterated to the company the Welsh Government’s determination to do all it can to support that work.

"The Welsh Government is investing significantly in supporting the long-term resilience of the North Wales economy, including £20m in a new Advanced Manufacturing Research Facility (AMRI).

"We will do all we can to support the company to attract the vital ‘Wing of Tomorrow’ project and continue to keep these high quality manufacturing jobs in Wales."