UNIONS and ministers have expressed disappointment at the news Airbus is to cease production of its superjumbo A380 aircraft, but jobs at the firm's Newport site will not be affected.

A few hundred staff in the UK work on the aircraft, mainly at Broughton in North Wales, but it is hoped they can be redeployed.

The firm said it had made the "painful" decision after struggling to sell the world's largest passenger jet and after Emirates chose to slash its A380 order book by around a quarter.

Due to the reduction and a lack of orders from other airlines, Airbus said it would end deliveries of the record-breaking plane in 2021, 14 years after it first entered commercial service.

Emirates is yet to take delivery of 14 of the double-decker aircraft, which has wings, engines and landing gear made in the UK.

Airbus said it would "start discussions with its social partners in the next few weeks regarding the 3,000 to 3,500 positions potentially impacted over the next three years".

A spokesman for Airbus told the South Wales Argus on February 14 that the Newport site would not be affected by scrapping of the A380 project.

Unite national officer for aerospace Rhys McCarthy said: "Unite will be seeking urgent assurances from Airbus that there will be no job losses because of the decision to end production of the A380."

Airbus declined to give details of the number of jobs that could be impacted.

Incoming chief executive Guillaume Faury told a media conference: "We are in the phase of analysing the situation and will have consultations with our partners."

Welsh transport minister Ken Skates AM 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.

“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."