Airbus Facing Criminal Investigation in UK for Possible Export Control Violation

August 2, 2024 TruthUSA

The company said it’s fully cooperating with authorities after HMRC launched an investigation following an export control audit in May 2022.

Airbus has confirmed that it is under criminal investigation in the UK for potential breaches of export control rules.

The investigation was initiated by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) following an audit conducted by a Department for Business and Trade team that oversees export controls and licensing for military and dual-use items.

HMRC has chosen not to make any comments regarding ongoing investigations.

The disclosure was first made in Airbus’s half-year financial report released on Tuesday. In the report, the company stated that it was “fully cooperating with an investigation by the Revenue and Customs Authority of the United Kingdom into possible violations of the United Kingdom’s export control rules.”

In an email to The Epoch Times, Airbus confirmed, “Airbus confirms it was notified that a criminal investigation had been launched by HM Revenue and Customs into potential export control offences involving several Airbus entities in the UK, following an audit by the UK Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU) in May 2022.”

The statement explained that Airbus is actively collaborating with all relevant authorities to address and rectify any identified deficiencies.

“The company is fully and voluntarily cooperating in the investigation and does not expect the matter to have a material financial impact,” it stated.

An HMRC spokesperson, responding via email to The Epoch Times, said, “We neither confirm nor deny investigations and we cannot comment on identifiable individuals or businesses.”

As the largest civil aerospace company in the UK, Airbus prides itself on being a civil aerospace exporter, space satellite company, and Royal Air Force supplier.

According to its financial statements, as of June 30, the company had a workforce of nearly 155,000 people spread across its three divisions in the UK—Airbus, Airbus Helicopters, and Airbus Defence and Space.

The revelation of the HMRC investigation comes approximately nine months after the U.S. State Department officially dropped the threat of charges related to alleged violations of export regulations in the United States.

In January 2020, Airbus entered into three deferred prosecution agreements and agreed to pay a total of 3.6 billion euros in fines ($3.9 billion or £3.1 billion) following extensive investigations in Britain, France, and the United States related to corruption allegations.

As part of the settlements, Airbus also agreed to pay $10 million (£7.8 million) and implement a three-year monitoring plan to address findings by the State Department regarding violations of U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations.

Airbus also committed to appointing an export control compliance officer.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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