Could Brexit lead to Airbus bonus for China?

The UK head of European aerospace giant Airbus has warned that Britain's position in the consortium is at risk due to Brexit.

The remarks were made by Katherine Bennett to MPs, and included comment that the company had no current plans to withdraw operations from the UK.

Nevertheless, her warning was clear. A 'no deal' Brexit would lead to thousands of job losses for Airbus in the UK, and even a deal that saw a significant implementation of trade barriers could result in the same.

An Airbus plane. [File photo: IC]

The UK is currently where most Airbus wings are manufactured. Airbus aircraft are exported all over the globe and so the company represents a vital part of the manufacturing sector of Great Britain.

Her remarks alluded to the fact that China, with its engineering expertise and fast-growing domestic aircraft industry, could be a natural new partner for Airbus when it comes to potentially finding a new place to build wings:

''I need to let you know... that other countries would dearly love to design and build wings... some of them already do; we do build wings in China now, and believe you me they are knocking at the door as a result of the situation we are in this country.''