Media Centre

Businesses in the whole of the UK aerospace industry are now facing difficult decisions affecting their workforces. This is an unsettling time for workers and their families. Bombardier’s Belfast operation is a successful business that has strong growth prospects, including for the A220 programme, once demand returns to the global aerospace market in the months and years ahead. 

The French Government has recognised the unique challenges faced by its aerospace industry from this crisis and is delivering the specific support needed to protect jobs and manufacturing capability. We have set out priority areas for action, including investment in the development of new green aerospace technology, a pragmatic plan to resume flights without resorting to quarantine measures, and pulling forward public defence and space projects. 

COVID-19’s impact on the aerospace industry deepens, with just 20 aircraft delivered in April, a record low for the month. 

Quarantining travellers will hold back the UK’s economic recovery. Key workers across our sectors must be provided with a route to secure exemptions and allow travel essential to our economic recovery. The 14-day quarantine should be a time-limited measure that can be removed as soon as the evidence supports doing so. 

The crisis is having a major impact on aerospace companies who provide high value, long-term jobs in all regions and nations of the UK, putting thousands more jobs at risk now and in the months ahead. To minimise the impact on jobs and manufacturing capability in the long-term we need urgent action by Government. 

A pragmatic approach is needed from both the UK and the EU to reach agreement on critical issues in the short time remaining for negotiations. The urgency of achieving a comprehensive deal with the EU has never been clearer. 

Today the Financial Times reports concerns raised by ADS and trade associations covering the automotive, chemicals, food and farming, and pharmaceutials sectors about UK plans for 14-day quarantine of international travellers. ADS has written to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps to raise our concerns about the Government's proposal, which will risk jobs in the aviation and aerospace industries, and across the economy. 

Reacting to today's publication of the UK Government’s COVID-19 Recovery Strategy, ADS said tens of thousands of jobs are at risk in the UK’s aerospace, defence, security and space industries without coordinated action to support economic recovery. 

The Government’s quarantine proposal for international air passengers is a disappointing step that will put jobs at risk in the aviation and aerospace industries, and in the wider economy. Building public confidence to enable the resumption of flying is a critical starting point for recovery in our industry and sectors across the economy that rely on global movement of people and goods. 

COVID-19 impact on aerospace manufacturers sees Q1 2020 record lowest January to March deliveries as customers defer and delay.