Aerospace industry £1.8bn boost to Scotland's economy after record plane sales
THE aerospace industry in Scotland has set a new annual record for aircraft deliveries and boosted the country’s economy by £1.8billion, new figures reveal.
AIRBUS
Industry sources say Scotland is punching above its weight in the increasingly competitive sector, with a string of companies involved in worldwide partnerships.
Aircraft deliveries in 2017 were worth up to £29billion to UK industry as manufacturers raised their production rates to set a new annual record. With 80 aerospace companies in Scotland, employing more than 7,600 people, 2017’s deliveries were estimated as providing an economic boost worth £1.6billion to £1.85billion.
Both orders and deliveries in December provided an end-of-year surge that broke industry records.
A total of 213 deliveries in the last month of 2017 – the highest monthly figure of the year – took the overall figure for the year to 1,498, more than 50 aircraft ahead of the previous record of 1,443 set in 2016.
Related articles
GETTY
Aerospace is spreading prosperity and creating high-value jobs in every part of the country
December also saw a record for aircraft orders in a single month, with 1,226 orders taking the overall backlog on global manufacturers’ books to 14,312 – another record.
The aerospace industry has now seen seven consecutive years of -rising delivery figures as demand for new aircraft continues to grow. The order book for engines – an important part of the UK aerospace industry – also sits at an all-time high of more than 26,000.
In Scotland, the leading firms include Spirit Aerosystems, a US-owned company based at Prestwick in Ayrshire, where they make wing components for Airbus.
Woodward Inc, also based in Prestwick, make pumps, valves, fuel nozzles, avionics for a number of aircraft including the Airbus A320 and Boeing 787.
GETTY
In Dunfermline, Fife, Axon Cable manufacture cables for the Airbus and the Ariane 5 space rocket launcher, while Vector Aerospace in Perth specialises in repair, modification and testing of engine and hydraulic components.
Across the Tay in Dundee, WL Gore & Associates is a material tech company making products for both commercial aircraft and space flight.
Paul Everitt, chief executive of ADS Group, the UK trade organisation representing the aerospace, defence, security and space sectors, said: “The aerospace industry here in Scotland is playing a vital role in this global industry, helping to produce some of the world’s most successful commercial aircraft.
“As the value of last year’s aircraft deliveries reaches up to £1.8billion in Scotland and £29billion in the whole of the UK, aerospace is spreading prosperity and creating high-value jobs in every part of the country.”
