Airbus may leave over Brexit

LONDON — Aviation giant Airbus is threatening to leave Britain if the country leaves the European Union without an agreement on future trading relations — a warning that caused alarm Friday among business leaders concerned about the pace of discussions ahead of next year’s exit.

The company, which employs about 14,000 people at 25 sites in Britain, said it will “reconsider its long-term footprint in the country” if there is no deal. Airbus also says the currently proposed transition deal that runs through December 2020 is too short for the company to reorganize its supply chain.

“In any scenario, Brexit has severe negative consequences for the U.K. aerospace industry and Airbus in particular. Therefore, immediate mitigation measures would need to be accelerated,” said Tom Williams, CEO of Airbus Commercial Aircraft. “While Airbus understands that the political process must go on, as a responsible business we require immediate details on the pragmatic steps that should be taken to operate competitively.”

Williams said that the company had sought for 12 months to highlight the company’s concerns, without success.

Prime Minister Theresa May’s government reacted quickly, but suggested there was no cause for worry. Her Downing Street office said that it is confident of getting a good deal and that “we do not expect a no-deal scenario to arise.”