Airbus criticises 'disgraceful' Brexit process and threatens to leave UK

Airbus's CEO said the government’s handling of the Brexit process was a “disgrace” and threatened to move wing production from the UK if it resulted in no deal.

“It is a disgrace that more than two years after the result of the 2016 referendum, businesses are still unable to plan properly for the future,” said chief executive Tom Enders. “If you are really sure that Brexit is best for Britain, come together and deliver a pragmatic withdrawal agreement.”

In a video message released on Thursday, Enders warned people not to “listen to the Brexiteers’ madness which asserts that because we have huge plants here we will not move and we will always be here. They are wrong".

“Make no mistake, there are plenty of countries out there who would love to build the wings for Airbus aircraft,” Enders added.

Airbus employs over 14,000 people at 25 sites in the UK and another 110,000 jobs depend on its operations.

Enders' comments follow Wednesday's announcement by Sony that it would transfer its European HQ from the UK to the Netherlands to avoid disruptions caused by Brexit.

Vacuum cleaner maker and arch Brexiteer James Dyson also said he was moving his headquarters to Singapore, from Malmesbury in Wiltshire, but gave no reason why.