Britain’s five-decade dominance of wing construction for Airbus SE jets is under threat from rival countries playing up the uncertainties surrounding Brexit to pitch for a share of the high-value, precision manufacturing work.
Airbus has been approached by at least seven governments looking to poach future wing production after the company raised concerns about Britain quitting the European Union, stirring fears at the planemaker’s U.K. unit that it may see an erosion of its leading role, according to people familiar with the matter.
Airbus wing production line at the Broughton factory.Photographer: Matthew Lloyd/Bloomberg
As Airbus assesses plans for its next A320 narrowbody, it has been courted by EU members France, Germany and Spain, as well as the U.S. and China, where it has assembly lines, and even Mexico and South Korea, according to the people, who asked not to be named as the approaches weren’t public.
Airbus executives have hinted for months that the U.K.’s stranglehold on wing manufacturing, in place since the planemaker’s inception in 1970, isn’t guaranteed. Brexit further complicates things by threatening to add costs and complexity just as countries worldwide step up pressure on the company to win a greater share of production.
“Our first commitment is not to any particular nation,” Enders told a gathering of British aerospace and defense executives on Jan. 15. “It is first and foremost to the global competitiveness of the company and our industry.” Airbus declined further comment.
Uneven Spread
Asia represents almost one-third of Airbus sales and wants more production