Industry giants are creating highly skilled roles while Bristol and Cornwall Airport are also playing a major role
The South West’s aerospace sector is creating tens of thousands jobs across the region and is driving economic growth, a new industry report has found.
In the West of England Combined Authority (Weca) alone nearly 14,000 jobs are directly generated by the sector, according to the analysis by Sustainable Aviation – a coalition of UK airlines, airports, aerospace manufacturers, fuel producers and partners working to delivering carbon net zero aviation by 2050.
In the wider South West region, including Cornwall and Devon, the aerospace industry has created more than 48,000 roles.
Air freight also supports 5.5 per cent of the economy and contributes £9.5bn to the region’s GVA, the report found.
“The aviation industry plays a particularly important role in the South West region and the West of England Combined Authority,” the report said.
“The presence of world-leading industry, with [Bristol airport] as the gateway to the South West region, presents huge opportunities for the area.”
The aerospace cluster in Filton and Bradley Stoke, South Gloucestershire, is currently home to industry giants including Rolls-Royce, GKN and Airbus, which employ thousands of people between them.
These companies and their supply chains are “critical” to the high-value UK aerospace ecosystem, according to Sustainable Aviation, and are helping drive innovation in the sector and economic growth.
Meanwhile, Bristol Airport is the largest airport in the South West, connected to more than 120 destinations and with more than 10 million passengers using the hub every year.
The report said the airport was playing “a critical role” in connecting businesses – in particular the aerospace cluster at Filton – to global markets, and in providing a “baseload demand” for manufacturing and supply chains.
In November, Bristol Airport launched a consultation on plans to extend its runway to allow for new long-haul routes to the US and the Middle East.
Elsewhere, Cornwall Airport Newquay is proposing to carry out a major upgrade as part of a modernisation programme.
In December, the airport said its new high-performance tech would improve safety and reliability for passengers and operators.
Duncan McCourt, chief executive of Sustainable Aviation, said: “Aviation benefits the West of England by driving jobs and economic value to the region and this report highlight how aviation is the bedrock of the regional economy.
“This is only half the story – as we drive growth, we are also leading the transition to a cleaner aviation sector.
“Our industry has a clear and credible plan to decarbonise, and far from being a distant ambition, it is happening right now, creating a new wave of high-skilled jobs.”
In December, another report found the West Country’s aerospace sector was helping boost manufacturing across the region.
