Airbus plans to cut up to 2,500 jobs in its defense and space division

Airbus has announced plans to slash up to 2,500 jobs in its defense and space division, citing a “complex business environment” marked by challenges including rising costs and “rapid changes in warfare.”

Airbus has announced plans to slash up to 2,500 jobs in its defense and space division, citing a “complex business environment” marked by challenges including rising costs and “rapid changes in warfare.” The European aerospace giant, which competes with beleaguered Boeing (BA) in airplane manufacturing, said Wednesday that it expects to complete the layoffs by the middle of 2026. The company did not say in which countries the cuts — which account for around 1.7% of its total workforce — would be made. Mike Schoellhorn, chief executive of Airbus Defence and Space, said the sector — and hence the division — had faced “a fast-changing and very challenging business context with disrupted supply chains, rapid changes in warfare and increasing cost pressure due to budgetary constraints.” The cuts are part of broader restructuring, aimed at making the unit “faster, leaner and more competitive,” Schoellhorn said in a statement. Airbus’ announcement comes against a backdrop of a global defense and space industry in flux, presenting both challenges and opportunities for companies. Governments have ratcheted up spending on defense in recent years as security threats have proliferated, including Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The United States is also “investing heavily” in space-based assets to support intelligence gathering and warfare, according to a report this month by analysts at Citi.