Aircraft workers from Flintshire are due to meet with defence officials in a bid to persuade them to choose their heavy lift aircraft project over an American rival.

The so-called Future Large Aircraft - now designated the Airbus A400M - has the potential for massive orders worldwide.

A delegation from Broughton, where the wings would be made, hopes to persuade the British Government to opt for their aircraft over the American C-17.

The delegation to meet Procurement Minister at Defence, Baroness Symons, is being led by Alyn and Deeside MP Barry Jones.

Last November, British Aerospace welcomed a £1.6bn new Chinese order for 28 Airbus planes that will help safeguard Welsh jobs.

Airbus, Antonov, Boeing and Lockheed Martin have competed for nearly a decade for the FLA contract which could provide several hundred aircraft, initially to air forces of European members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).

Obsolete aircraft

The A400M is a military transport aircraft designed to meet the requirements of eight European Air Forces (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom) to replace their fleets of C-130 Hercules and C-160 Transall.

These aircraft are currently in service and will become obsolete in the next decade.

The total number of aircraft required by the eight countries will amount to around 300.

Aerospace companies CASA, Aerospatiale, Airbus, Alenia, British Aerospace, DASA, Flabel, Ogma and TAI are all taking part in the A400M programme under the management of Airbus Military.