Articles
The commercial aerospace industry had a record year in 2013, according to new figures from trade body ADS.
The figures, which are part of a new monthly commercial aircraft and engine sales tracker, show that orders for commercial aircraft increased by 28% globally to 2,887 in 2013, almost 50% of which are for new programmes. The increase in orders was driven by a significant uplift in orders for widebody aircraft, which soared by 275%. According to ADS, orders placed last year could deliver up to £42 billion to the UK economy in the next decade.
Some 1,272 new aircraft were delivered to customers in 2013 around the world, a third consecutive annual record. The figures also show that almost 5,000 engine orders were placed in 2013 and 2,646 engines were delivered.
The new orders have increased the backlog in the industry worldwide to more than 11,000 aircraft and 20,000 engines, the figures reveal.
Paul Everitt, chief executive of ADS, said: “We expect to see a steady growth, but we need to have the right capacity to meet it. We are keen that [political] leaders don't forget the lessons learnt from the financial crisis – while the sector is doing well we need to make sure the environment in the UK is to foster that growth. The capacity of the supply chain needs to increase to support that – investment is needed by companies.
“We will be pushing the government on policies and focusing on the tax system. We believe there is more scope to support investment in manufacturing.”
Business secretary, Vince Cable, said: “These figures highlight the opportunities for growth in the aerospace industry and the potential rewards that British businesses could reap.”