Rolls-royce and Airbus look to build up stockpiles of parts

RISING fears of a no-deal Brexit cast a shadow over the aerospace industry’s main showcase yesterday as Airbus and Rolls-royce both warned they are preparing to stockpile parts and voiced frustration with the drama in Westminster.

Airbus has already begun building up stocks of parts and examining its supply chain in a bid to soften the blow of no-deal or a hard Brexit, chief operating officer Tom Williams said at the Farnborough Airshow.

Rolls chief executive Warren East also said preparations are now under way to minimise the impact.

“Business has tried to be pretty good and quiet and not make a fuss but we’re talking about stockpiling,” he said.

Both bosses issued their strongest criticism yet of the Government. Mr Williams, Airbus’s most senior British executive, branded the prospect of damage to the pan-european manufacturer from no deal “criminal”. He said: “We’ve created a tremendous European success story and a world competitive company. It would be criminal if we were to see that destroyed.”

Airbus created a storm prior to Theresa May’s ill-fated Chequers summit by warning it could be forced to leave the UK, threatening tens of thousands of jobs, if the Government does not make a deal with the EU on customs.

Mr East said Rolls had not begun “inconvenient and costly” stockpiling yet but acknowledged that “we can’t rely on anything” from the Government now. He said: “We have to take contingency measures and will continue to do so.”