The boss of aircraft giant Airbus has warned that his company would be “entering a dangerous phase” if the UK’s vote to leave the European Union disrupts the movement of people and products.
Toulouse-headquartered Airbus, which employs 15,000 people in Britain, already issued warnings about the possible consequences of a Brexit vote ahead of the referendum last year.
“We've got a lot of Brits working in Europe and a lot of French and Germans working here in the UK, so for us as an international company, that's what we need to have - a fairly seamless process,” chief executive Tom Williams, speaking to the Commons Treasury Select Committee on Tuesday, said.
“Anything that disrupts that model will create inefficiency and could affect our long-term competitiveness," he added.
Mr Williams also said that Washington would be “delighted” to see any kind of disruption because US competitors would take “every opportunity to undermine the success of Airbus”.
He said any EU deal must allow Airbus, which has 600 EU workers in the UK and 1,800 UK citizens in Europe, to move its products and workers around Europe, including at short notice and without restrictions.
In a letter sent to staff in the run-up to the June referendum Airbus Group said that it makes "good economic sense" for the UK to stay in the EU due to its ability to trade freely and recruit workers.
Prime Minister Theresa May last week confirmed Britain will be leaving the EU’s single market as she unveiled her strategy ahead Brexit negotiations.
Ms May added that remaining a member of the single market “would mean being bound by EU laws. That would mean in practice not leaving the EU.”
