Farnborough International Airshow day 1 orders deliver £7.7bn boost to UK aerospace

Aircraft and engine agreements announced on the opening day of the Farnborough International Airshow 2026 have delivered an estimated £7.7 billion in potential value to the UK aerospace industry.

Figures compiled by ADS Group show that Day 1 deals reached a combined $48.8 billion, or £36.2 billion, at list prices.

The total included firm orders for 234 commercial aircraft, generating an estimated £5.2 billion for UK industry. That UK value was 13% higher and the number of aircraft orders 44% greater than recorded on the first day of Farnborough in 2024.

When 466 firm engine orders are included, the total value of opening-day firm business attributable to the UK rises to .7.7 billion, equivalent to approximately $9.9 billion.

Major lessor SMBC drives Farnborough opening-day total

SMBC Aviation Capital produced the largest order announcements of the day, placing firm agreements for 200 narrowbody aircraft split evenly between Airbus and Boeing.

The lessor ordered 40 Boeing 737-8s and 60 737-10s, alongside 35 Airbus A320neos and 65 A321neos.

Riyadh Air accounted for the remaining 34 firm commercial aircraft, exercising options for 28 Boeing 787 Dreamliners and ordering six additional Airbus A350-1000s.

The Day 1 total also included 20 aircraft options, 60 engine options and several helicopter orders.

Excluding helicopters would reduce the overall global value by just $100 million, to $48.7 billion, with no change to the £7.7 billion attributed to UK aircraft and engine activity.

Global programmes support UK industry

The figures underline the value that international aircraft orders create across the UK’s aerospace supply chain, even when the aircraft are assembled overseas and ordered by international customers.

British companies supply engines, structures, systems, equipment and specialist components for many of the world’s leading commercial aircraft programmes.

The £5.2 billion aircraft contribution alone was 13% higher than on Day 1 of FIA 2024, despite the total global value of opening-day agreements being 4% lower.

ADS said orders were concentrated among fewer customers, reflecting the record backlogs already held by aircraft and engine manufacturers.

With production positions for popular narrowbody aircraft stretching into the 2030s, major airlines and lessors are increasingly placing large orders to secure future delivery capacity.

Although the totals are calculated using list prices and do not represent the confidential prices paid by customers, they offer an important indication of future industrial activity and potential supply-chain demand.

The opening-day figures demonstrate that global demand remains strong and that the UK continues to capture significant value from the international aircraft and engine market.