Key facts
- Airbus Operations Limited (AOL), a UK division of Airbus, was fined £6.4 million.
- The fine was for multiple breaches of UK rules on the export of sensitive technology.
- The breaches involved failures to keep accurate records of controlled technology transfers.
- This settlement is the highest out-of-court settlement ever reached by HMRC for strategic export offences.
- Airbus self-reported the breaches, which occurred before November 2022.
Airbus has been fined £6.4 million in the UK after admitting to multiple breaches of rules designed to prevent sensitive goods, including military hardware, from falling into the wrong hands. The European aerospace company self-reported the breaches, which occurred before November 2022, to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). HMRC stated that the offences related to a sustained failure by Airbus to maintain accurate records of the export or transfer of controlled technology, as required by the conditions of several Open General Export Licences (Ogels) and one Standard Individual Export Licence (SIEL). This £6.4 million payment represents the highest out-of-court settlement ever achieved by HMRC for strategic export offences. The fine was issued to Airbus Operations Limited (AOL), a UK-based division of the company. Edwige Hill, deputy director of HMRC’s fraud investigation service, emphasized the UK's strict licensing regime to ensure military equipment does not fall into the wrong hands and contribute to national security. While Airbus cooperated with the investigation and has implemented remediation measures, the breaches are notable given the company's significant role in Europe's defence sector, involved in projects like the Eurofighter Typhoon and A400M aircraft. Sanctions lawyer Nigel Kushner commented that the fine serves as a wake-up call for UK exporters regarding the critical importance of complying with licence terms, particularly record-keeping requirements.