Boeing: ‘Leave’ vote won’t stop us investing in UK

AMERICAN aircraft maker Boeing is set to win nearly £3billion of orders for 50 Apache helicopters and nine P8 maritime patrol aircraft this week from the UK and has promised to boost investment here following the referendum result.

Boeing chairman and chief executive Dennis Muilenburg told The Mail on Sunday the world’s biggest aircraft maker was confident that orders for the attack helicopters for the Army and the P8s for the Royal Air Force were on track despite the mayhem in British politics following the EU vote. The orders are likely to be unveiled at the Farnborough Airshow this week.

‘The Apache fleet is very important to the UK forces and will continue to be, and we’re confident that programme will continue to proceed,’ he said. ‘And then the P8 will bring a new maritime surveillance capability to the UK that I think is much needed. Again, we anticipate that programme will move forward regardless of who is in power.’

There has been considerable controversy over both programmes, with fears from politicians and unions that the Government’s decision to buy equipment from the US company will hit UK industry.

In response, Boeing said it will boost its existing investment in the UK. It employs more than 2,000 staff here and spends more than £1.4billion annually with 250 suppliers in the country.

‘We’ve doubled our presence over the last five years, we intend to continue to ramp that up and also continue to deepen and broaden our supply chain. And these new programmes, like the P8, will just add to that momentum. Ramping up our local capability is part of the solution,’ said Muilenburg.

He also stressed that the referendum result would not affect Boeing’s commitment to the UK, noting that the company had dealt with Britain’s airline industry and its Armed Forces for decades.

‘I think it’s really important to have a long-term perspective. We don’t anticipate any significant changes to traffic and air travel in terms of market impact.

‘So whether it’s our customers or our supply chain or our direct presence, we’ve made a commitment to the UK for the long term and that is not changing.’

Muilenburg said the Government’s move to delay the final decision until October on whether Heathrow or Gatwick should have a new runway would not have an immediate effect, but a failure to build it could have long-term repercussions.