Farnborough Airshow opens with £36.2 billion in aircraft deals on day one

The opening day of the Farnborough International Airshow generated more than £36.2 billion in announced commercial aircraft deals, with 234 firm aircraft orders placed — a 44 per cent increase on day one of the previous show, according to trade association ADS.

The orderbook, worth $48.8 billion in dollar terms, will generate more than £5.2 billion in economic value to the UK’s aerospace sector, ADS said. This supports work across the industry’s 113,000-strong workforce and supply chain. A further 446 firm aircraft engine orders were announced during the first day of the five-day biennial event.

The aircraft figures cover orders placed with Airbus and Boeing, with the headline total also including helicopter orders placed with Airbus. The engine tally covers LEAP and Pratt & Whitney.

“Today’s orderbook is a clear signal that confidence in the global aerospace industry remains high, with airlines continuing to invest in the aircraft and technologies that will shape the future of flight,” said Kevin Craven, Chief Executive of ADS and Chair of Farnborough International, as quoted in the press release. “Our aerospace sector delivers £14.3 billion in value to the UK economy and a total of £30.6 billion in exports. It is our partnership with our international counterparts that truly makes the UK home to an open, ambitious and innovative industry and we are delighted to see this reflected in today’s orderbook.”

The opening-day surge arrives with the industry’s production pipeline already stretched. ADS’s half-year commercial aircraft order and delivery data, published ahead of the show, recorded:

• A record global backlog of 16,925 aircraft
• A 15 per cent year-on-year increase in orders during the first half of 2026

This means airlines placing orders this week are joining a queue that, at current delivery rates, extends well into the next decade. The trade association’s Aerospace Outlook puts the UK industry’s 2025 turnover at £41.5 billion, with £30.6 billion of exports.

The commercial deals ran alongside a heavy day of defence announcements at the show, including:

• Anduril unveiling its Thunder autonomous attack rotorcraft
• Weapons qualification completed for the RAF’s Protector
• General Atomics and Kongsberg advancing Joint Strike Missile integration for the MQ-9B
• QinetiQ committing £20 million to laser weapon development
• Babcock signing a maritime counter-drone agreement with ACUA Ocean and Frankenburg

Four days of the show remain.