A400M cancellation would damage UK aerospace industry, warns SBAC chief

The chief executive of the UK Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC) has warned that cancellation of the A400M military transport aircraft programme could have serious implications for the UK aerospace industry.

Speaking in London on 8 June, during the launch of SBAC's annual survey on the UK aerospace market, Ian Godden said that should Whitehall choose to scrap the troubled programme, the "possibility that the UK, in 15 to 20 years time, has a fully fledged composite wing manufacturing capability, will be reduced significantly", and that Germany and Spain would "pick up" the work, instead.

He added: "The A400M will be a signal to the civil side. That's what UK Inc thinks. We're in a fragile condition on these fronts. Any signal could be damaging."

In April, French Prime Minister François Fillon said France had persuaded the UK to continue negotiating new contractual terms for the A400M with Airbus Industrie, despite London's apparent readiness to withdraw from the European airlifter programme, which has suffered from a series of delays.