INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image copyrightPAImage caption
Theresa May visited the Farnborough International Airshow on Monday
Theresa May has promised extra investment for the aerospace industry, just weeks after Airbus threatened to reduce its UK presence because
The prime minister also said that her Brexit plan would secure millions of aviation jobs in Britain.It comes amid growing criticism of her
plan from MPs, with another government member resigning in protest on Sunday.The proposal urges close links with the EU on trade in goods,
projects, including research on more environmentally-friendly aircraft
There will be additional money for two new spaceports - one in Cornwall, one in Scotland - and a long-awaited commitment to build a new
high-tech fighter aircraft that will eventually replace the Eurofighter Typhoon.Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage caption
Britain leaves the EU customs union and single market, given its dependence on cross-border trade in components
In June, Airbus UK boss Tom Enders said it could pull production out of the UK if it quit the bloc without a transition deal
The French firm employs about 14,000 people in Britain.However, last week, Mr Enders tentatively welcomed Mrs May's plan, saying the
government is now moving in the right direction
Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage caption
Airbus chief executive Tom Enders says the UK govenment is "going in the right
direction"
But in an interview with the TheIndianSubcontinent, the boss of Airbus's arch-rival, Boeing, pledged to keep
Dennis Muilenberg said while the company did not welcome disruption to the movement of goods - or to the Europe-wide systems of aviation
regulation - his company's plans would not be changed by the UK's plans to leave the EU."We are going to continue to grow in the UK," he
said, adding that Boeing would maintain a long-term view of its UK investments, "regardless of how Brexit plays out".However, he added there
were worries over whether "we continue to see free flow of goods and services".In her speech, Mrs May argued that her proposals - including
frictionless free trade in goods and the avoidance of a hard border in Northern Ireland - would protect the supply chains that big aerospace
firms depend on.She also said the UK could remain part of EU agencies critical for the aerospace industry, such as the European Aviation
Safety Agency."By working closely together, government and industry have ensured we remain at the forefront of civil aviation and that our
air power is second to none," she said."Today I want us to build on that, and ensure not only that we retain our prominence, but that in an
increasingly competitive industry we make the most of the opportunities that lie ahead."ADS has welcomed the government's plan, but insists
there are important and complex issues still to be resolved.However, chief executive Paul Everitt said the prime minister's remarks were a
"strong statement of intent" that would help build confidence and encourage investment
"The international political, military and business leaders visiting Farnborough will be reassured by last week's Brexit White Paper and are
keen to hear more about the UK's post-Brexit ambitions."
