Business & GA, Regulation

Trig Avionics Moves to Netherlands, Avoids Brexit Impact

Photo courtesy of Trig Avionics

Production and certification of Trig Avionics products will be controlled by its new regulatory headquarters in the Netherlands beginning in early 2019.

Trig Avionics CEO Andy Davis said the move will allow the company to avoid any potential disruption in the certification of its products that could be caused by Brexit — the U.K.’s expected 2019 exit from the European Union.

Based in Amersfoort, the new regulatory headquarters will also include a Part 145 avionics repair station.

“Development of our new operation in the Netherlands is going well,” Davis said in a statement. “Amersfoort will become our regulatory HQ as well as our European sales office. This removes concerns about the impact of Brexit.”

The company currently manufactures transponders, radios, GPS receivers and other avionics products at its corporate headquarters in Edinburgh, Scotland. Amersfoort will also become Trig’s new European sales office.

Trig is recruiting technical staff for the new location, after already making some local hires.

“This will allow all Trig customers in Europe and internationally to purchase Trig products — unaffected by any possible negative impacts from Brexit,” a representative for Trig said in an emailed statement.

The U.K. is scheduled to officially leave the EU on March 29, 2019, resulting from Prime Minister Theresa May’s triggering of the process in 2017 on that date.

Airbus has been one of the biggest voices of concern over risks associated with the U.K.’s decision to leave the European Union. The Toulouse, France-based aerospace company has 14,000 employees working at 25 different administrative, engineering and manufacturing facilities throughout Britain. A June 2018 Airbus memo outlines the “severe” disruption to its production that Brexit potentially imposes.

Upon publishing its official notice of the transition to the Netherlands, Trig indicated its products would be “unaffected by any potential disruption caused by Brexit aviation restrictions.”

Davis said Trig’s corporate headquarters will remain in Edinburgh.

“The corporate HQ in Edinburgh remains a key part of the business. Our Dutch regulatory HQ provides business continuity. Customers can expect the same first-class service from Trig wherever they fly,” Davis said.

Receive the latest avionics news right to your inbox