- 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 Chris Bryant 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 Chris Bryant 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.
