The UK aerospace industry must address its skills shortage if it is to keep up with rising demand for aircraft production, according to a quarterly report by the Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC).
A worldwide increase in aircraft orders has boosted production levels by 26% compared with last year, but “significant skills shortages in the sector also risk undermining the future of the industry”, SBAC director general Sally Howes says. The government also needs to ramp up research and development spending “to ensure the UK continues to be a player in this field”, she says, adding: “We’re on the right path, but there is some way to go before we reach the levels set out in the UK National Aerospace Technology Strategy.”
The SBAC’s industry survey shows a 28% increase in new orders, to £22.6 billion ($40.9 billion), with 529 aircraft ordered in the second quarter, which runs from 1 April to 30 June, the highest level for the last five years. Of these, 30% were from Indian-owned airlines, which the SBAC says are expected to become the largest growth market for civil transport aircraft. Production levels are up 26%, at 63 aircraft a month, compared with last year’s average of 40 aircraft a month.
Source: Flight International
