ADS Welcomes BEIS Committee Report on Aerospace & Brexit
Aerospace trade association ADS welcomes the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Committee’s call for continued UK membership of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and for any new customs barriers after Brexit to be kept to a minimum.
The BEIS Committee published its report, The Impact of Brexit on the Aerospace Sector, on Monday 19 March.
ADS Chief Executive Paul Everitt said:
“Aerospace is a deeply integrated industry where production facilities in multiple countries work in concert to produce the modern, efficient and safe aircraft demanded by global airlines and their passengers.
“Manufacturers and their supply chains depend on extensive international regulatory harmonisation and we welcome the BEIS Committee’s support for continued UK membership of EASA. Their report makes clear that no deal would be highly costly and disruptive to UK aerospace, which could put jobs and passenger safety at risk.
“As the Committee has also recognised, new customs procedures must be kept to a minimum to put this important sector of the UK economy in the best possible position to compete after Brexit.
“We believe that a customs union with the EU would be a practical solution that would help avoid new potential costs to our sectors of up to £1.5bn a year.
“There is now relatively little time to prepare for Brexit and it is vital that the UK and EU27 agree a comprehensive transition agreement as soon as possible, to give industry the breathing space it needs to adjust to the new long-term partnership arrangements.”
Paul Everitt gave evidence to the committee’s inquiry on Brexit and the aerospace sector on 21 November.