Future of aerospace in the spotlight at Farnborough International Airshow
- Prime Minister Theresa May opened the 2018 Farnborough International Airshow.
- The Farnborough International Airshow saw $46.4bn in deals announced today, worth $9.5bn to the UK.
- Announcements on the first morning of the show include the new Combat Air Strategy, a spaceport for Sutherland, and support for aerospace innovation and productivity programmes.
Prime Minister Theresa May opened the Farnborough International Airshow on Monday, marking the start of a landmark week for both the UK and global aerospace industries.
Farnborough International Airshow is the biggest airshow of 2018 and the most international edition in its history. Major company announcements on Day 1 setting out the aerospace programmes of the future included BAE Systems unveiling their concept for a future combat aircraft; Aston Martin showed us their Volante flying car concept; and the first UK-based spaceport was announced for Sutherland in Scotland.
The Farnborough International Airshow saw $46.4bn in deals announced today, surpassing the figure achieved on the first day of the 2016 Airshow which stood at $23bn. 311 civil aircraft were ordered across the show on the Monday, totalling $43.6bn and worth $9.5bn to the UK. More than $2.8bn in engine orders were also announced.
ADS Chief Executive Paul Everitt said:
“It was a privilege to welcome the Prime Minister to open this year’s Farnborough International Airshow. The global aerospace industry has gathered here to unveil and examine technologies for the future of flight.
“Today we’ve welcomed announcements on what the future will bring for the aerospace, space and defence industries in the UK. It is an exciting time for these industries with important initiatives being launched at Farnborough already this week, and the message is clear – the future of flight is happening now.
“It is a great confidence boost for the industry to see so much investment in UK expertise and technology – it’s vital that we continue to support and grow our industries as we align ourselves to the UK’s future relationship with the EU.”