AETD at Farnborough International Airshow 2026

In July, the AETD team travelled from the North West to Farnborough International Airshow 2026, one of the world's leading aerospace and defence events. Less than a year after we launched, it was a chance to meet the manufacturers we serve, see where the industry is heading and show how specialist precision tooling helps keep production lines moving.

A record-breaking week at Farnborough

Farnborough International Airshow 2026 ran from 20 to 24 July in Hampshire, and it was the biggest edition in years. The show welcomed 141,580 trade and public visitors from 136 countries, up 41% on 2024 and nearly double 2022.

The order books opened too. Exhibitors announced more than $84.7 billion in commercial deals, including 353 firm aircraft orders and 904 firm engine orders. Beyond the headline numbers, the week centred on the future of flight across aerospace, defence and space, with a strong focus on partnerships and future talent (Farnborough International via ATC Network).

Why we were there

Aerospace Engineering Tooling & Defence (AETD) supplies precision tooling to UK manufacturers in aerospace, defence, food and medical. We import specialist tooling from Germany and the United States, so our customers can get high-performance cutting tools without long lead times.

Farnborough brings the whole aerospace supply chain into one place, from the major primes to the machine shops that make their parts. Over the week our team:

• Met current and prospective customers to talk through their machining challenges

• Caught up with tooling partners and manufacturers on new products and technologies

• Explored supply chain opportunities across commercial aerospace and defence

What we took away

Demand is rising across the sector. With 353 new aircraft and 904 engines on order from the week alone, UK manufacturers face years of production growth. Reliable access to precision tooling will matter more than ever.

Defence was a major theme too, with BAE Systems, MBDA and Anduril all unveiling new technology. That fits with the strong demand we have seen from defence manufacturers since launch.

The show also reinforced our focus on tooling management. Manufacturers want to know where their tools are and how they are used, which is why we are developing tool kits with tracking and usage monitoring.

What's next for AETD

We are following up on the conversations started at Farnborough and building on them. Over the coming months we will open our refurbished warehouse and offices, launch a customer portal for online ordering and keep growing our aerospace and defence work.

Farnborough returns on 17 to 21 July 2028, and we hope to be there.

If we met at the show, or you want to talk about precision tooling for your production line, get in touch with the AETD team at sales@aetd.uk