Aerospace News – Late June 2025
Estimated reading time 4 minutes
The South West centre behind world-leading research into next-generation aircraft wing technology has welcomed a £15.8m investment from the government, saying it will accelerate innovation in a vital sector for the region’s economy.
As reported by TheBusinessDesk last week, the National Composites Centre (NCC) in Bristol will receive the funding as part of a £250m package that aims to maintain the UK’s lead in research into the future of flight.
Other firms with major operations in the South West to benefit from funding include Airbus, Rolls-Royce, GKN and Safran. https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/south-west/news/24011-24011
Rolls-Royce has launched the first of two Durability Enhancement Packages, that will more than double the duration Trent 1000 engines remain in service before needing scheduled maintenance. This marks an important milestone on Rolls-Royce’s transformation programme into a high performing, competitive, resilient and growing business.
Increasing ‘Time on Wing’ for the Trent 1000 will bring significantly improved asset utilisation, reduced maintenance burden and provide far greater fleet planning certainty for customers. The durability enhancement complements the excellent reliability that the Trent 1000 already has. https://www.themanufacturer.com/articles/rolls-royce-launches-durability-enhancement-package-that-will-double-trent-1000-time-on-wing/
The UK’s aerospace, defence, security and space sectors added £42.2bn to the UK economy in 2024 — a 64% increase over the last decade — according to new data from ADS.
The industries – explicitly recognised as Growth Sectors in the UK Government’s forthcoming Industrial Strategy – have also seen turnover reach £100bn, an increase of 57% since 2014.
The data from the representative body for the industry also highlights that employment has grown a third, with 443,000 people now directly employed in well-paid jobs across the UK. Two thirds of jobs are outside of London and the Southeast, with productivity 42% higher than the UK average. Figures also demonstrate a strong pipeline of young talent across all four sectors, with 26,200 apprenticeships playing a crucial role in the workforce.
Aircraft manufacturer, Airbus, has received a bumper order for almost 100 new planes from three international operators at the Paris Air Show. AviLease, the global aircraft lessor headquartered in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has confirmed an initial order for 10 A350F freighters and 30 A320neo family aircraft. The agreement also foresees a future increase to 22 A350F freighters and 55 A320neo family aircraft.
Meanwhile, Riyadh Air, the new premium international airline based in Saudi Arabia, has also placed a firm order for 25 A350-1000 aircraft. And ANA (All Nippon Airways) Holdings has lodged a firm order for 24 single-aisle A321neo and three A321XLR.
In addition, LOT Polish Airlines has placed a firm order with Airbus for 20 A220-100s and 20 A220-300s, marking the first time Poland’s national carrier has selected Airbus aircraft as part of its fleet modernisation.
UK aerospace will be boosted by more than £250 million funding for cutting-edge aerospace tech projects to drive greener air travel, Industry Minister Sarah Jones will announce at the Paris Air Show today.
The combined funding from government and industry will drive forward the development of cutting-edge technologies that will help to secure the future of the UK’s aerospace sector. This includes advancements in gas turbines, hydrogen-powered flight and the use of laser technologies for large-scale aerostructure manufacturing.
It will help attract even more investment into the UK’s world-leading aerospace sector and support thousands of high-skilled jobs outside of London, delivering on the Government’s Plan for Change and helping grow the economy.
