Airbus has announced plans to cut 2,362 jobs in its Defence and Space division over the next two years.

The manufacturer cited a “flat space market and postponed contracts on the defence side” for the decision, which will result in a reduction of 829 jobs in Germany, 630 in Spain, 404 in France, and 357 in Britain.

Airbus said a further 142 jobs would be cut in other countries, adding that it was in talks with its European works council on the restructuring.

Job cuts due to “flat space market”

A statement by the company read: “Airbus Defence and Space has entered the consultation process with the company’s European works council on the division’s planned restructuring. While the underlying business perspectives especially in the core business remain solid, these steps became necessary after the division achieved a book-to-bill ratio below 1 for the third year in a row, mainly caused by a flat space market and postponed contracts on the defence side.”

Job reduction targets will be supported by a reinforced profitability programme and further measures to increase long-term competitiveness and safeguard the division’s future positioning.

The need for restructuring was first announced in December 2019 and emphasized at the company’s Annual Press Conference in Toulouse on February 13. Airbus Defence and Space will provide updates on its plans and continues a constructive dialogue with employee representatives. Financial implications remain under assessment and will be communicated at a later stage.