Orders placed at Farnborough International Airshow last week soared to $72bn (£46bn) according to event organiser Farnborough International Limited.
The figures were announced at the close of the Farnborough 2012 trade week and include commitments made by airlines, leasing companies and manufacturers.
The total sales figure for last week represents a sharp increase on 2010 when orders amounted to $47bn, an increase of 53%. Twenty per cent of exhibitors at the 2012 show have already rebooked for 2014 showing a firm belief in the business value of the Farnborough trade event.
Over the course of the week, Boeing secured a £9.5 bn order from United Airlines to build 150 new planes and Airbus secured orders surpassing £11bn.
Just over 107,000 trade visitors and over 1500 exhibitors attended the show last week according to the event organiser, Farnborough International Limited (FIL). These individuals represented the whole range of the aerospace supply chain. There were over 70 military delegations from 46 countries with a further 13 delegations from the civil sector.
The attendance of the Prime Minister at this year’s air show was felt to be particularly significant, reflecting recognition in the highest positions of government that the aerospace industry will be a powerful force in national economic recovery. Six Cabinet ministers made key note speeches during the week.
Shaun Ormrod, chief executive of FIL, thanked key exhibitors including EADS, Finmeccanica and Boeing for their support of the show. He said their patronage ensures the Farnborough International Airshow remains at the top of the aerospace events calendar.
Mr Ormond also said that broader recognition of the Farnborough event from figures such as Sir Richard Branson, who attended the debut of the Virgin Galactic at Farnborough this year were rewarding.
Boosting wider recognition of the contribution the aerospace industry makes to the UK economy and improving understanding of the exciting career opportunities available in the sector, Farnborough organisers were also pleased to announce that 120,000 members of the public attended the open weekend exhibition and 7,500 young people attended the Futures day last Friday.
FIL chairman, Ian Godden said that Futures day and the Innovation Zone were among his favourite new initiatives for the air show. “In 2008 we only had 500 young people coming in our planned programme for teachers and pupils,” he observed. “In 2010 the number rose to 2,500. In 2012 we have reached the heady heights of 7,500 and hope to at least double that for 2014.”
