Fears of a hard Brexit lead Airbus to stockpile parts
Building planes and engines requires parts to be at factories on a just-in-time basis, and a disorderly Brexit would threaten the smooth flow of parts across borders
Farnborough — Airbus is stockpiling parts in case of a hard Brexit and Rolls-Royce is months away from doing so. But for smaller aerospace companies that supply them, the UK’s departure from the EU could be much more challenging. The largest aerospace sector in Europe and second in the world behind the US, the British industry generates exports worth £30bn a year and sustains 123,000 direct jobs, plus as many again indirectly. Manufacturing planes and engines requires components to be at factories on a just-in-time basis. A disorderly or no-deal Brexit would threaten the smooth flow of parts across borders and prevent European regulatory approval for aerospace products. However much planning the industry giants do, they could still be damaged via their supply chains if component suppliers are not ready. John Rainey, chairman of Denroy, a maker of injected moulded components used on Airbus planes, has contingency plans in place, but will not sign off on any changes for the company of...
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