Airbus U.K. Warns of Brexit Risk as China Covets Wing Business
- Group’s top British manager stresses threat to competitiveness
- Other countries ‘knocking at door’ as a result of referendum
An employee works on a section of a wing on the Airbus A350 wing production line at the Airbus SE assembly factory in Broughton, U.K.
Photographer: Matthew Lloyd/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Airbus SE’s Chinese arm is clamoring for high-value work building wings currently made in the U.K. as Brexit threatens to blunt the country’s competitive edge, according to the group’s top British executive.
While the design and manufacture of Airbus wings represents one of the “crown jewels” of U.K. aerospace, every part is exported into the European Union and would be affected by any additional border friction and customs costs, Airbus U.K. Senior Vice President Katherine Bennett told British lawmakers Tuesday.