Paris Air Show: orders worth £3.3bn to UK
Aerospace manufacturers and airlines announced 354 new orders and commitments on the first day of the biennial Paris Air Show, worth £35 billion globally and an estimated £3.3 billion to the UK. The new business announced on the first day of the air show reflected the positive outlook of the aerospace industry around the world.
A large order for 100 A320neos, the latest version of Airbus’s single aisle A320 series, was placed by leasing company GECAS and will be worth a total of £1.2bn to the UK, which manufactures wings for the A320 family.
More than £100m is currently being invested in the A320 wing assembly line at Airbus in Broughton, North Wales in order to equip the factory with new, semi-automated pulse line technology systems to improve efficiency and ensure readiness for a ramp-up in production levels.
The UK also has a deep aerospace supply chain, which will benefit from the GECAS order, including companies supplying tyres, communication antennas and flight control actuators.
ADS Chief Executive Paul Everitt (above) said: “The first day of the Paris Air Show has seen positive news for the aerospace sector, both around the world and in the UK.
“Orders and commitments announced today will bring more than £3bn into our economy as the systems and components of these aircraft are designed and manufactured in the years ahead.
“The economic benefits will be spread to every nation and region of the UK. Our aerospace sector is a globally competitive industry that continues to make a major contribution to the country’s long-term prosperity.”
The UK has the largest aerospace sector in Europe, with an annual turnover of £31.8bn. In the first four months of this year, deliveries of new aircraft were worth up to £8bn to the UK, and the global backlog of orders remains close to record highs.