The 海角视频’s aerospace sector is attempting to navigate the road to recovery after the collapse in air travel caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Sector heavyweights, such as Airbus and Rolls-Royce - both major employers in the South West - announced significant cuts to their global workforces last year, including jobs across the 海角视频.
According to analysis by Deloitte, slow recovery in passenger travel could continue to impact Britain’s aerospace industry in 2021, including aircraft deliveries and revenues.
Deloitte said the development of a vaccine could result in short-term growth in passenger traffic, driven by pent-up demand, but is unlikely to offset the damage to lucrative business travel.
ADS, the aerospace trade body, has also warned the aviation and aerospace industries are facing a “deepening crisis” - and said “urgent action” was required to prevent longer-term damage.
Paul Everitt, chief executive of ADS, said travel bans and fragile consumer confidence had left airlines, airports and aerospace manufacturers uncertain about future demand.
A no-deal Brexit - previously also a major concern for the sector - has now been avoided however.
Airbus said it would "analyse the consequences" of the Brexit deal on its operations - but welcomed the news.
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"We are pleased that the potential disruption from a no-deal scenario has been avoided,” an Airbus spokesman said. "A strong partnership will generate benefits right across Europe."
But what does it mean for the future of the aerospace industry in the West of England?
The South West has one of the largest concentrations of aerospace and defence capabilities in Europe, and is the biggest aerospace cluster in the 海角视频.
The University of the West of England’s Dr Steve Wright, an aerospace expert who previously worked for Airbus in Filton, predicted in March last year there would be “ a lot of pain” for the sector, which he suggested would probably last for a couple of years at least.
Fast forward to 2021 and it looks like those predictions are being realised.
Despite the doom and gloom within the commercial aerospace sector, however, there are glimmers of hope for the longer term, says Dr Wright.
He believes there will be a shift within aerospace - once dominated by a handful of major global corporations - that will allow exciting new companies to emerge.
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“The South West has always had a tradition of aerospace and we don't want this to slip through our fingers.
“In the region we are lucky because the industry has been around so long. The good news is because of that it is baked into our local economy.”
Dr Wright says although bigger sector employers, such as Airbus or Rolls-Royce, might spring to mind when thinking of the South West, there are plenty of “Fred in the shed” operators too.
By this he means small companies, often with just a handful of people who are based in small industrial sites, working on future technologies.
'Everyone wants to be the next Apple of the skies'
“There are two new threads of aerospace - drones and electric flight,” he said. “That's really interesting for the South West because different areas of the 海角视频 are jockeying for this new piece of industry. Everyone wants to be the next Apple of the skies.”
According to Dr Wright, drones, in particular, are becoming a major market.
“The military is taking a huge interest in unmanned drones because they see the opportunity - and the threat - of using them. Then there are also companies that are using these drones to deliver goods by air.
“Everybody is wondering whether this is going to be a thing - but nobody knows how much it will take off.”
Dr Wright points to Bristol-based Vertical Aerospace, which was founded in 2016 by green energy giant Ovo’s Stephen Fitzpatrick and is leading the race to develop the world’s first all-electric ‘flying taxi’.
Last year, the company unveiled its designs for what it said would be the world's first certified all-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
According to its website, Vertical Aerospace’s VA-1X will be able to carry four passengers for 100 miles at cruise speeds of 150mph.
It is currently in development with flight testing taking place in 2021, followed by certification in 2024 and initial commercial services starting shortly afterwards, the company said.
“eVTOL technology will revolutionise travel, combining the safety of commercial airlines with the disruptive environmental and cost benefits of the electrification of flight,” chief executive Michael Cervenka told .
“At Vertical Aerospace we believe that people should be able to quickly and affordably get from A to B without sacrificing the planet - with the VA-1X, this vision will start to be realised in under five years," he added.
There are other small companies emerging too, such as Manna, which is based on the Welsh side of the Bristol Channel in Pontypool.
The business uses custom-developed aerospace-grade drones to deliver directly from restaurants to people’s homes, flying at an altitude of 80 metres and a speed of more than 80kph - and, according to the company, can do it in less than three minutes.
“The bigger aerospace giants are at risk so that's why it's good to have these smaller companies being developed,” added Dr Wright.
“Young companies behave like young people and old companies behave like old people, and because of that, from an investment point of view, it's not for the faint-hearted. But it gives young businesses a chance to compete.
Dr Wright says history has shown that world aviation is able to recover from crises.
“The ones I remember are the Gulf Crisis, 9/11 and the 2008 global recession,” he said.
“Every 10 or 12 years the world airline industry is hit by some major shock [but] the world aviation economy always catches back up.
He added: “Until 2020 the aerospace industry had been consolidating - and now it’s starting again.”
What do you think will happen to the 海角视频 aerospace sector in 2021? Be part of the conversation in our comments section below