Airbus CEO delivers stark warning to UK over a ‘No Deal’ Brexit
Airbus Chief Executive Officer Tom Enders has branded the UK Government’s handling of Brexit a “disgrace.”
The CEO has given the starkest warning yet it could move future wing-building out of Britain as a result of a ‘no-deal’ Brexit in a video message published by the company today.
Enders says: “It is a disgrace that more than two years after the result of the 2016 referendum, businesses are still unable to plan properly for the future,”
We along with many of our peers have repeatedly called for clarity [on Brexit] but we still have no idea what is really going on here.”
Enders says “the UK’s aerospace sector now stands at the precipice.”
“If there is a no deal Brexit we at Airbus will have to make potentially very harmful decisions for the ”
The CEO said: “Please don’t listen to the Brexiteers’ madness which asserts that, because we have huge plants here, we will not move and we will always be here. They are wrong.”
Enders warns that other countries want the wing making work: “Make no mistakes there are plenty of countries out there who would love to build the wings for Airbus aircraft.”
Enders comments come days before a vote next week’s in parliament by MPs on Theresa May’s revised Brexit plan.
It follows the historic 432-202 defeat the House of Commons inflicted on her Brexit plan last week.
The UK is scheduled to leave the EU on March 29.
Airbus is stockpiling parts at in the U.K. and Germany ahead of a possible no-deal Brexit.
It expects to have enough stock to cover production for one month.
Responding to this mornings statement by Tom Enders, Economy Secretary Ken Skates said:
“Airbus is the largest of our anchor companies here in Wales, employing 6,000 at its Broughton plant alone.
It spends more than £5bn with UK suppliers, with a supply chain of more than 4,000 companies – it’s an absolutely vital part of the British economy.
“The UK Government is needlessly putting tens of thousands of skilled, well paid jobs at risk with their dangerous and reckless approach to Brexit.
Surely the Prime Minister cannot continue to ignore these warnings.”
“The United Kingdom has been at the forefront of global aviation for more than a century this great nation gave birth to the jet engine and later the first jet-powered airliner it is world renown for its skills and capabilities in the field.
The UK’s aerospace sector now stands at the precipice
Brexit is threatening to destroy a century of development based on education research and human capital
If there is a ‘No Deal’ Brexit we at Airbus will have to make potentially very harmful decisions for the UK which would be ironic considering that back in the 1990s it was UK industry that was the architects of crater European aerospace integration.
Please don’t listen to Brexiteers’ madness which asserts that because we have huge plants here we will not move and we will always be here, they are wrong.
Of course, it is not possible to pick up and move our large UK factories to other parts of the world immediately however, airspace is a long-term business and we could be forced to redirect future investments in the event of a No Deal Brexit
Make no mistakes there are plenty of countries out there who would love to build the wings for Airbus aircraft.
In a global economy, the UK no longer has the capability to go it alone major aerospace projects are multinational affairs it is a disgrace that more than 2 years after the result of a 2016 referendum businesses are still unable to plan properly for the future
We along with many of our peers have repeatedly called for clarity but we still have no idea what is really going on here.
Airbus has more than 14,000 employees here with a further roughly 110,000 working in jobs supporting our UK programmes which generate roughly 6 billion pound of turnover every year.
As we prepare to celebrate Airbus’ fiftieth anniversary we are Airbus look back fondly on everything we have achieved with our magnificent UK workforce
The global market for aviation is growing at 5% each year but we are not dependent on the UK for our future
Airbus will survive and thrive whatever the outcome, the question is does the UK wish to be a part of that future success
if you’re really sure that Brexit it is the best for Britain, come together and deliver a pragmatic withdrawal agreement that allows for an orderly Brexit.”
