BREXIT UP IN THE AIR

A HARD Brexit would prove chaotic for the aviation industry, a trade body warned yesterday.

Paul Everitt, chief executive of aerospace and defence firm ADS Group, said Britain leaving the EU without a trade deal would be the “worst possible outcome”.

He told MPs on the Business Select Committee: “We believe that would be chaotic, and unhelpful for this particular sector and a number of others.”

Meanwhile, the UK boss of aerospace giants Airbus said the company have “no plans at present” to reduce their use of British firms.

Katherine Bennett described the Airbus plant in Broughton, Flintshire, which makes aircraft wings, as “an amazing facility”.

Addressing fears over jobs, she said: “It’s not terribly easy to move a huge manufacturing site.” BRITISH passports could be printed by a foreign firm from 2019. They are now produced at bank note company De La Rue’s Gateshead plant. But when their 10-year contract expires, two European firms will challenge for the renewal. Boss Martin Sutherland said: “It would be a shame if, in the year of Brexit, the British passport was not printed by a British company.”

De Le Rue said halfyear sales rose 29 per cent to £244million. Euro ................................................... 1.100 Australian Dollar .......................... 1.704 Bulgarian Lev ............................... 2.053 Canadian Dollar ............................ 1.643 Croatian Kuna .............................. 8.043 Czech Koruna ............................... 27.011 Egyptian Pound ......................... 20.352 New Zealand Dollar ..................... 1.876 Polish Zloty ................................... 4.434 South African Rand ................... 17.953 Swiss Franc ..................................... 1.275 Thai Baht ...................................... 40.961 Turkish Lira ................................... 4.828 UAE Dirham ................................... 4.682 US Dollar ......................................... 1.293