Airbus, the troubled aircraft manufacturer, is considering spinning off some of its factories as part of a cost-cutting and restructuring programme to be announced next week.

The pan-European company is set to follow Boeing and General Motors in divesting key suppliers as part of the so-called Power 8 reorganisation.

This could mean that centres of excellence such as Airbus’s wing factory at Broughton in North Wales, which employs 13,000 people, and the fuselage factory at Saint Nazaire in France could be sold or reformed as joint ventures.

Boeing adopted a similar strategy in 2005 when it hived off its Wichita factory, which makes fuselages for the 737, to form Spirit AeroSystems.

General Motors also spun off its main supplier, forming Delphi.

EADS, Airbus’s parent company, is in the process of informing its key stakeholders, including European governments and trades unions, of the proposed changes.

According to union officials, suppliers and consultants to Airbus there are a raft of ideas being negotiated.

A further cost-cutting measure being considered by Airbus is rationalisation of the supply chain.

The company has about 3,000 companies selling to it directly and this is likely to be cut to only a few hundred prime contractors.

The remaining suppliers will then deal with the prime contractors, allowing Airbus to out-source costs and risk.

There may also be job cuts, but with a backlog of 2,533 aircraft Airbus will be operating a maximum capacity for many years to come.

The Power 8 restructuring programme is, therefore, more likely to focus on efficiency and streamlining the business.

However, this process is complicated by EADS’s ownership structure with the French, German and Spanish Governments having a heavy influence in the company.

The rivalry between the French and German factions is so intense that EADS has co-chairmen and co-chief executives from both sides.

The battle to protect French and German jobs has already started, with trade unions warning that 12,000 jobs could be lost.

Michael Glos, the German Economy Minister, threatened to reconsider EADS defence contracts if Airbus moved jobs out of his country.

His stance echoed comments by Lord Drayson, the Defence Procurement Minister, who has also said that EADS could lose contracts if jobs were cut in Britain.

Airbus has been forced into restructuring after delays to its A380 superjumbo, which has restricted the company’s cash-flow.

Doug McVitie, director of Arran Aerospace, said: “Airbus has to start taking costs out of the business, and moving suppliers off the balance sheet would be an obvious start.

“It worked for Boeing.”

Power to save money

- Airbus employs 57,000 people worldwide

- German and French trades unions believe 8,000 to 12,000 jobs could go as part of the Power 8 restructuring

- Airbus employs 13,000 people in the UK at its Broughton and Filton sites

- Airbus is already starting to cut costs by reducing its number of contractors

- Power 8 aims to save Airbus £1.4 billion a year

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