The UK’s aerospace trade organization ADS Group has cautioned that despite the global aerospace industry remaining on track for 2018 to be a record year, a no-Brexit exit by the UK next March could create immense disruption.
According to figures gathered by ADS, this year’s commercial aircraft deliveries reached 809 at the end of July, exceeding last year’s total by 37, according to data collected by ADS. Figures cover reported deliveries of commercial aircraft by Airbus, Boeing, and Bombardier.
July proved a record month, as the OEMs delivered nine more aircraft than the 107 they shipped during the same period in 2017. The industry’s order book backlog remained above 14,000 aircraft for the eighth month in a row. The 116 Airbus, Boeing, and Bombardier aircraft delivered in July are worth up to US$2.58 billion to the UK’s aerospace industry.
According to ADS chief executive Paul Everitt: “Aerospace manufacturers in the UK and around the world are continuing to boost production and the latest delivery figures show we can be confident of another new record in 2018.” However, he also warned that the UK’s greatest risk to its ability to compete in international markets resides in “the threat posed by the country leaving the European Union with no deal.”
One of the most pressing problems facing the British aerospace industry is that while the UK government last week published its first set of technical notices explaining how British businesses and citizens should prepare for a possible no-deal Brexit next March, none of the first 25 or so notices included aviation.
