Airbus CEO Tom Enders has issued a worrying video statement indicating that the company could leave the UK in the event of a 'no deal' Brexit, a move that could spell disaster for Bombardier Belfast.
It's been a complicated year for Bombardier's operations in Northern Ireland, with the announcement of 490 job losses across the region back in November followed by a £1bn order increase from Delta Airlines earlier this month that would benefit the Belfast location. Bombardier Belfast manufactures the wings for the Airbus A220 series of aircrafts, so large orders for the A220 are a boon for local industry.
Further good news landed recently as a Jet2 Holidays executive revealed that the company is considering ordering the Airbus A220 when it has to retire its existing Boeing planes in the next few years. Disaster may be looming on the horizon for Bombardier though, as majority shareholder Airbus has issued a strong statement warning the UK that a 'no deal' Brexit would force its hand.
Airbus CEO Tom Enders warned in the video statement below that "Brexit is threatening to destroy a century of development based on education, research and human capital. If there’s a no-deal Brexit, we at Airbus will have to make potentially very harmful decisions for the UK."
Enders urged politicians to take the possibility of the company leaving the UK seriously, saying "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."
About the author
Brendan is a Sync NI writer with a special interest in the gaming sector, programming, emerging technology, and physics. To connect with Brendan, feel free to send him an email or follow him on Twitter.
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