March Deliveries Put Aerospace On Course For Record Year
- A strong third month of 2018 made Q1 the best for deliveries since 2015 with 310 aircraft delivered, worth up to £5.5bn to the UK economy.
- The quarter also recorded the best Q1 for orders since 2014 with 323 aircraft orders so far this year.
- Total backlog of 14,280 aircraft remains more than 14,000 for the fourth month on record.
The first quarter of 2018 put the aerospace industry on track to set another annual record for deliveries, driven by a record 232 deliveries for single-aisle aircraft in January to March.
Monthly deliveries in March also saw the highest number of aircraft deliveries on record, 151, in any month other than December. The industry has been further boosted by strong growth in orders which already stand at 310 aircraft, 25 per cent higher than in the same period last year, including 78 wide-bodies worth up to £3.5bn to UK industry.
The strong start to 2018 for orders mean the total backlog remains more than 14,000, close to the record set at the end of 2017.
ADS Chief Executive Paul Everitt said:
“The first quarter of 2018 demonstrated strong and continued growth for UK aerospace and there is increasing confidence we are on course for yet another record year.
“The high rates of new orders and deliveries reflect an upbeat assessment of global economic growth and companies at all levels of the UK supply chain will need to continue to invest in their competitiveness to make the most of the opportunities available in the coming years.”