UK aerospace outlook: record order backlog and strong demand for skills
The aerospace industry is in the middle of a long-term boom in demand. Airlines around the world have more new aircraft on order than ever before, and that is good news for the UK’s aerospace sector and the engineers who work in it.
A record order book
According to industry body ADS, the global backlog of commercial aircraft on order reached a record 17,037 in July 2026, the first time it has passed 17,000. That is more than 12 years of production at current delivery rates, with an estimated value of around £395 billion to the UK economy.
Demand is still rising. Over 1,500 new aircraft were ordered in the first seven months of 2026, up 31% on the same period in 2025, while deliveries had their strongest January to July since 2018. In short, airlines want aircraft faster than the industry can currently build them.
A major UK industry
ADS figures show that the UK’s aerospace, defence, security and space sectors together added £46.8 billion to the economy in 2025 and supported around 468,500 direct jobs. Aerospace alone employed around 113,000 people, and productivity has risen strongly over the past decade.
The UK designs and builds key parts of the world’s best-selling aircraft, including wings, engines, landing gear and systems, which means much of that global backlog turns into long-term work for UK factories and their supply chains.
Skills are the pressure point
The industry’s biggest challenge is no longer demand but capacity. ADS has highlighted skills shortages, alongside supply chain pressure, as one of the main things holding back how quickly production can increase. Employers across the UK are looking for:
- Manufacturing, production and quality engineers
- CNC machinists, fitters and composite technicians
- NDT inspectors and quality technicians
- Design, stress and systems engineers
- Planners and supply chain specialists
Rising defence spending is expected to add further demand for many of the same skills over the next decade.
What it means in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is well placed to benefit. Belfast builds the wings for every Airbus A220, the region has a strong cluster of aerospace, defence and precision engineering companies, and Stormont is bidding for a major new Ryanair engine maintenance facility. For engineers with the right skills, that adds up to a strong job market and good long-term prospects.
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Sources: ADS Group, aircraft order backlog data, August 2026; ADS Facts and Figures, reported July 2026.