Airbus Chief Blasts Uncertainty Over Brexit

With uncertainty over Brexit rumbling on, Airbus has said that it may be forced to take its operations out of the United Kingdom should no deal be finalized. Airbus chief executive Tom Enders described the current situation as a “disgrace” and said that many other nations would welcome the company.

Should the United Kingdom leave the European Union (EU) without a deal, Airbus has stated that it could be forced to take its wing-building operations out of the country, the BBC reports. Speaking to the news outlet, Dr. Tom Enders, the manufacturer’s chief executive, was harsh in his assessment of the current situation, which he described as a “disgrace.”

If no deal was agreed upon, Dr. Enders told the outlet that the company “will have to make potentially very harmful decisions for the UK”.

“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,” he added.

Considering the possibility of moving Airbus operations from British shores, Dr. Enders stated that “there are plenty of countries out there who would love to build the wings for Airbus aircraft.”

At present, Airbus employs about 14,000 within the United Kingdom.

Member of Parliament (MP) Richard Harrington, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, concurred with Enders’ views. “Crashing out is a disaster for business. Airbus is correct to say it publicly about and I’m delighted they have done so,” he said.

However, a spokesperson for the British government has stated that, “The UK is a world leader in aerospace. We are the home of the jet engine, the wing factory of the world and are world-renowned for our skills and capabilities in the most technically-advanced parts of aerospace manufacturing.”

“It remains our top priority to leave the EU with a good deal; a deal that is good for business, will protect jobs and prosperity, and provide the certainty that business needs,” they added.

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