November 2024 saw 65% slump in aircraft orders
January 2, 2025
Commercial aircraft orders in the UK suffered a two-thirds decline last November, according to ADS Group, marking the worst month for orders since the pandemic.
November 2024 was the worst month for aircraft orders since 2020 with just 79 aircraft ordered. The latest commercial aircraft data from the trade association for the UK’s aerospace, defence, security and space sectors, also represents a 55% decline fall in year-to-date aircraft orders.
With widebody aircraft deliveries lagging 25% for the first 11 months of the year, overall aircraft deliveries are down 10% in that same period. According to ADS, 98 aircraft were delivered in November, with the persistent influence of workforce issues and supply chain challenges cited as being behind the sustained decline. “While November orders can be volatile, ongoing production challenges and workforce factors make this a disappointing month, as it suggests declining confidence in production capacity and increased uncertainty in demand,” said Aimie Stone, chief economist at ADS.
An ongoing slump in deliveries has also meant the commercial aircraft order backlog is 7% higher than in November 2023, with 15,822 aircraft now on backlog order totalling more than £250 billion of value for the UK. With ongoing delays in production expected to lead to further volatility, Stone continued, “this will make reaching forecasted figures less feasible unless the typical December delivery push outperforms previous years. 192 aircraft deliveries are required by the end of December to meet the ADS global delivery forecast of 1,165 aircraft.
According to ADS the November figures are in keeping with year-to-date figures that show orders placed in 2024 are lagging two thirds behind 2023 figures.
