Aircraft Production Beats Brexit Blues to Hit Q3 Record
- Rising production rates pushed Q3 2017 to the 354 deliveries, the highest number ever recorded for July to September.
- Q3 deliveries worth £7bn to UK industry, taking total value for 2017 to £20bn.
- Production rates 30 per cent higher than five years ago and total aircraft on order books 50 per cent higher, as long-term growth in the sector continues.
The third quarter of 2017 saw deliveries of new civil aircraft beat reach the highest level ever recorded for the period, with 260 single-aisle and 94 widebodies rolling off production lines.
Total value to UK industry from these deliveries is estimated at up to £7bn, with widebodies forming the largest component at £4bn to £4.5bn. The strong three months means 1,018 aircraft were delivered in the first nine months of the year, worth an estimated £20bn in total to UK companies.
Overall, this year’s deliveries are nine aircraft behind 2016’s record-breaking pace, as the aerospace industry continues to maintain its strong performance.
ADS Chief Executive Paul Everitt said:
“This has been a strong three months for the global aerospace industry and for UK manufacturers.
“Following the annual record for deliveries set in 2016 there has been no slackening in the pace of production this year and we expect to see rates continuing to rise in the years ahead.
“To achieve forecasts of a 40 per cent rise in civil aircraft production by 2020, it is vital that industry and government work together on a UK industrial strategy that ensures this globally competitive, high-productivity sector is as strong as possible.”