British aerospace sector receives Vietnamese investment boost

Image courtesy DfT

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 lawst week 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 £5.3 billion 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 Keir Starmer 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, Heidi Alexander, 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.