- Vietnamese airline Vietjet announces investment into 100 new
aircraft with wings designed in Bristol and made in North Wales.
- Major deals for Airbus and Rolls Royce to benefit sites in
Bristol, Derby and North Wales, supporting thousands of jobs and
boosting the economy to deliver the Plan for Change
- Transport Secretary visits Airbus in Bristol to see research
and development in action, with investment supporting aerospace
innovation to ensure UK remains a global leader
A significant investment into the British aerospace sector has
been announced today (30th October
2025), following a major deal being made between a
Vietnamese airline and the UK aerospace sector.
Following the Prime Minister's meeting with Vietnam's General
Secretary yesterday, VietJet has announced a significant order
for 100 Airbus A321neo aircraft.
The Transport Secretary visited Airbus' site in Bristol today to
mark the order and see how this will allow Airbus to continue
investing in research and development.
Overall, the deal supports Airbus' 79,000 strong supply chain and
12,000 employees across the country, with Airbus estimated to
bring £5.3bn to the economy each year.
The wings for 100 aircraft will be manufactured at Airbus'
Broughton site in North Wales, with their design developed at the
company's Filton facility, showing a strong pipeline from concept
to reality delivered from the UK. This programme will safeguard
highly skilled jobs across both regions, supporting delivery of
the Plan for Change.
The deal comes alongside further investment from Vietjet into the
UK aviation sector, with Vietjet and Rolls Royce signing a deal
for 92 Trent 7000 engines to be manufactured in the UK for use in
40 A330 Neos, also set to support thousands of high-skilled jobs.
Prime Minister said:
“This landmark deal shows that British innovation continues to be
at the forefront in connecting the world.
“By working hand-in-hand with our international partners, we are
helping our aerospace sector soar, creating thousands of
high-skilled jobs, boosting our economy, and delivering real
benefits for working people across the UK as part of our Plan for
Change.”
Transport Secretary, , said:
“This major investment from VietJet is a big vote of confidence
in British aerospace and engineering, and will support jobs
across the country to deliver our Plan for Change.
“Homegrown research and development is vital to our net zero
ambitions, and I'm delighted that this order will encourage
investment back into aviation innovation – helping us to continue
as a global leader in the industry.”
The Government is also supporting sectors such as aviation with
major investments to encourage innovation, including £20.4 billion for research
and development across the UK until April 2026.
Further funding to support aviation innovation was also announced
over the summer, with £63 million to encourage
the development of Sustainable Aviation Fuels, and £4 million allocated to
grassroots research projects trialling next-generation drone
technology.
These investments have been echoed by strong industry support,
with energy logistics firm Exolum recently announcing the
creation of a brand-new Sustainable Aviation Fuel supply network,
starting with a fuel blending facility in Portishead, just
outside Bristol.
The Government is supporting airport expansion at Gatwick and
Luton – where capacity upgrades have been approved – and
Heathrow. The moves support the Government's growth mission and
any expansion will be balanced with environmental, climate and
air quality aims.
By encouraging investment that feeds back into innovation, such
as VietJet's order, aviation can take advantage of cleaner,
greener technology to reduce it's carbon footprint and expand
airports responsibly.
