Aston: We’ll fly in parts
Car maker’s post-Brexit plans
LUXURY car maker Aston Martin is considering flying in parts to beat any Brexit no-deal chaos.
Boss Andy Palmer also revealed it was looking at using ports other than Dover to try to get around lengthy border hold-ups.
It comes as firms ramp up emergency planning for the UK leaving the EU next March without a “frictionless” customs deal in place. The automotive sector risks being hit hard because it relies on a “just in time” supply chain, with thousands of parts crossing the Channel every day.
But there is concern Dover’s port may not be able to cope with new red tape.
Palmer said he hoped the Government and Brussels could reach an agreement soon. But he said the firm, whose shares have fallen sharply since its recent stock market flotation, was preparing for the worst. “You can get a few days of engines and gearboxes relatively easily into the cargo decks of a plane so while it’s relatively expensive that is probably our primary back-up,” he saidw, adding the firm only did so in an emergency at present. Coventry and Birmingham Airports, near the firm’s central Gaydon plant, and the port of Sunderland are among locations being considered.
“There is undoubtedly a cost associated with it, but it’s cheaper than not building cars,” Palmer said.
It came as Jaguar Land Rover yesterday began a two-week shutdown of its Solihull plans following a slump in demand.w Christian Stadler, professor of strategy at Warwick Business School, said: “JLR is one of many UK car manufacturers heading into troubled waters.”
He warned JLR risked being hit by both Brexit and an economic slowdown in China, its biggest market.