Air show orders up to £46.6 billion

Orders announced so far at the biennial Farnborough Air Show have already exceeded the figure achieved in 2010, it was announced yesterday.

The order figure for this year’s event, which started 
on Monday and finishes tomorrow, is £46.6 billion – 
well ahead of the £31bn from wtwo years ago.

Plane-making rivals Airbus and Boeing have announced some major and lucrative contracts, as has aero-engine giant Rolls-Royce.

Prime Minister David Cameron officially opened the show, which has also hosted Sir Richard Branson, who has given an update on his Virgin Galactic space tourism project.

A total of 1,506 companies have exhibited at the Hampshire event this year, compared with 1,450 in 2010.

Around 120,000 people are expected to attend the public days of the show today and tomorrow.