At face value, the UK’s aerospace and defense industries might feel entitled to breathe a quiet sigh of relief and gently pat themselves on the back coming into this year’s Farnborough airshow. When the 2008 event closed its doors it was obvious to all but the most optimistic analysts that these markets were on the cusp of a major downturn that threatened to drastically clip the wings of these industry sectors.
The dip in demand undoubtedly did materialize as the full ramifications of the global financial crisis were felt, but, according to the UK’s new Aerospace, Defence and Security (ADS) industry association, its members have generally proved to be more resilient than might have been anticipated. That said, in a pre-show interview with AIN, ADS chairman Ian Godden warned against complacency, arguing that more needs to be done to make the supply chain more robust and efficient, and that the defense sector now faces its own period of retrenchment.
