- Major Airbus aircraft orders including from Etihad and
Emirates at Dubai Airshow worth billions to the UK economy.
- Deals secure thousands of UK manufacturing and engineering
jobs in Derby, Wales and Bristol in latest vote of confidence in
UK's modern Industrial Strategy.
- UK Export Finance backs £2.7 billion package to help British
firms win contracts for Dubai's £27 billion project to build
world's largest airport.
Engineers and manufacturing workers across the UK will benefit
from a flurry of major new aircraft deals announced this week at
the Dubai Airshow, which are worth billions of pounds to the UK
economy and will secure thousands of British jobs.
Airlines including Etihad, Emirates and FlyDubai have ordered or
signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) for significant numbers
of Airbus aircraft with wings designed in Bristol and
manufactured in North Wales. The 34 widebody aircraft ordered are
fitted with Rolls-Royce engines manufactured in
Derby.
The aircraft orders complement the strong economic relationship
between the UK and UAE – a G20 partner -with bilateral trade
between both countries reaching a record £24.8 billion last year,
while over 14,000 British companies export to the UAE annually.
During a visit to the Airshow earlier this week, Trade Minister
welcomed the orders as the
latest vote of confidence in the UK's modern Industrial Strategy
and the British aerospace industry, which employs over 30,000
people, including small businesses in the supply chain. It shows
the Government's Plan for Change to grow the economy is
delivering.
Trade Minister Sir said:
It was inspiring to see so many British businesses touting for
massive deals at the Dubai air show this week. These are
big wins for the UK and a major vote of confidence in great
British manufacturing. British wings and engines supporting
roughly 30,000 high-skilled jobs across the country. Ambition is
really paying off.
We're bolstering our support for the aerospace industry through
our modern Industrial Strategy – giving business the confidence
it needs to invest in UK advanced manufacturing and delivering on
growth as part of our Plan for Change.
In a further boost to the economy, UK Export Finance has
announced an Expression of Interest to offer up to $3.5 billion
of financing support towards Dubai's new $35 billion Al Maktoum
International Airport. The project is expected to create the
world's largest airport by scale and passenger volume, embracing
leading sustainability technologies.
If a deal goes ahead, it would secure significant opportunities
for British suppliers across the full spectrum of airport
development including consultancy and other services;
construction and manufacturing; and airport technologies,
including operational and security systems.
Separate to the aircraft orders, Minister Bryant visited Dubai
this week to progress talks for a UK-GCC trade agreement, which
could boost bilateral trade by 16 percent and increase UK GDP by
over £1.6 billion.
Notes to editors:
- Airbus employs around 12,000 across the UK. Rolls Royce
employs 22,000.
- The Gulf Cooperation Council was equivalent to the UK's ninth
largest trading partner in 2024, with total bilateral trade worth
around £55 billion.
- Over 5,000 British companies have a presence in the UAE
market, and the UK is the largest source of Foreign Direct
Investment stock in the UAE, while the UAE is the largest source
of Gulf investment in the UK.
Aircraft Orders and MoUs:
- Flydubai has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with
Airbus for 150 A321neo aircraft making the airline a new Airbus
customer.
- Emirates, the world's largest international airline, has
announced orders for 8 additional Airbus A350-900 aircraft,
powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB84 engines, which represent the
forefront of propulsion technology, supporting the aviation
industry's shift towards more sustainable operations.
- This top-up order will boost the airline's A350-900 fleet to
a total of 73 units when all deliveries are completed.
- Etihad Airways has announced a significant expansion of its
Airbus widebody fleet by placing a firm order for six A330-900s,
also powered by Rolls-Royce engines, becoming the latest A330neo
customer. In addition, the airline has disclosed an order for
seven additional A350-1000s (increasing its total for the type to
27) and three A350F (bringing the airline's A350F commitment to
10 aircraft).
- Ethiopian Airlines has placed a firm order for six Airbus
A350-900 aircraft, further strengthening its position as the
largest A350 customer in Africa.
- Spanish airline Air Europa has signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with Airbus for up to 40 A350-900
aircraft.
- Buraq Air, first private Libyan airline, has signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the purchase of 10 A320neo
Family aircraft, becoming a new Airbus customer.
- Silk Way West Airlines based in Baku, Azerbaijan has signed a
firm contract for an additional two A350F freighter aircraft. The
agreement takes their total order to four A350Fs.
