Aircraft deliveries fly to new record high in 2017 bringing in £29bn for UK industry
The global aerospace industry soared to a bumper 2017 after a fresh record was set for aircraft deliveries, bringing a £29bn boost to the UK.
A new annual record was set last year, after 1,498 aircraft deliveries were recorded, according to figures out today from aerospace trade body ADS Group.
Deliveries for 2017 were worth £29bn to UK industry as manufacturers home and abroad raised production rates to eke out a new high. The aerospace industry has now recorded seven consecutive years of rising delivery figures with demand for new aircraft continuing to thrive, and production rates having to pick up the pace to meet it.
Read more: Relief as ruling stops massive US import tariffs for Bombardier planes
ADS chief executive Paul Everitt said: “International demand for new aircraft continues to rise and manufacturers are stepping up production to satisfy airline requirements for cleaner and more fuel efficient planes.”
The only way is up: Commercial aircraft deliveries (cumulative year-to-date delivery totals, end of month)
(Source: ADS)
Both orders and deliveries in December provided an end of year boost to break a number of industry records, with a total of 213 deliveries in the last month of the year. That took the overall figure for the year to 1,498 – more than 50 ahead of the previous record of 1,443 set in 2016.
December brought plenty of festive cheer, also setting a record for the most aircraft orders in any single month, with 1,226 taking the overall backlog on manufacturers’ books to 14,312. That is expected to be worth up to £212bn to UK industry over the coming years.
The new 2017 delivery record was propelled by a six per cent rise in deliveries of single aisle aircraft, which also accounted for over 1,200 of the orders placed in December.
The order book for engines, which is a crucial part of the UK aerospace industry, also nudged up an all-time high of more than 26,000.
Everitt said:
Our aerospace industry is playing a vital role in this global industry, producing wings, engines, landing gear, fuel systems and avionics for some of the world’s most successful commercial aircraft.
As the value of last year’s aircraft deliveries to the UK reach up to £29bn, aerospace is spreading prosperity and creating high value jobs in communities in every part of the country.
Read more: MP select committee: Aerospace sector faces £1.5bn Brexit bill