Aircraft Orders and Deliveries Continue to Suffer Impact of Pandemic
- Just nine aircraft orders and 52 deliveries were made in August 2020, the lowest for the month on record.
- Further Government measures needed to support aerospace manufacturers and limit impact of quarantine on aviation demand.
Commercial Aircraft orders in 2020 continue to reflect a challenging six months for the global aviation and aerospace industry, with just nine orders in August, the lowest for the month on record. The figure is a 59 per cent decline on August 2019 and a 91.3 per cent decline on two years ago. Since the start of the crisis in March, just 123 orders have been placed.
Aircraft deliveries in August similarly showed the impact of the crisis, with just 52 deliveries made, a 55.9 per cent decline on the same month in 2018.
The total backlog orders for aircraft were at 13,518 for August 2020, representing a further 2 per cent decline on the same time last year due to low order volumes and cancellations, and a fall from a peak of more than 14,300 seen at the end of 2018. However, the remaining aircraft backlog will mean up to an estimated £206bn worth of work to the UK and seven years’ worth of work.
ADS Chief Executive Paul Everitt said:
“The aerospace industry in the UK and around the world is feeling the effect of travel restrictions and 2020 is set for the lowest number of global aircraft deliveries in more than a decade.
“Aircraft manufacturing employs more than 110,000 people in the UK. The industry is looking to the Government to act urgently to develop and reform its quarantine policy, using testing to reduce the period air travellers need to isolate after arrival in the UK.
“A full restart for aviation is the only way to ensure the future of the UK’s highly skilled and innovative aerospace sector, and will be an essential component of our national economic recovery.”