The 2025 Midlands Aerospace Alliance annual conference held at RAF Cosford was a fantastic opportunity to hear the insights of the diverse Aerospace manufacturing supply chain from OEMs to lower Tiers and even tool manufacturers. It provided key insights into the industry’s current challenges and opportunities.

This article will discuss the main takeaways from the event, focusing on supply chain resilience, zero-defect manufacturing, and strategies for scaling production in a volatile global landscape.

The aerospace industry is undergoing a critical phase of ramp-up, with demand for commercial and defence aircraft surging. Airbus and Boeing’s backlog by the end of 2024 was 14,253 (ADS, 2024). One of the sectors biggest challenges is trying to navigate the current geopolitical landscape, rising demand and therefore the increased emphasis on the need for risk resilience in the supply chain.

Supply Chain Risk Resilience: A Pressing Concern

Aerospace supply chains are complex and globally interconnected, making them vulnerable to disruptions. The industry is still grappling with the lingering effects of pandemic-induced shortages, geopolitical tensions such as the introduction of US tariffs, and logistical constraints. Lead times for certain essential dependant components remain extended, acting as a bottleneck to the product development process. Additionally, the limited availability of raw materials has placed further strain on production schedules.
Manufacturers are increasingly adopting risk-mitigation strategies such as reshoring, dual-sourcing, and digital supply chain monitoring to enhance resilience. The integration of AI-driven predictive analytics is also helping firms anticipate disruptions and adjust procurement strategies in real time. Yet, despite these advancements, the industry continues to experience delays, impacting aircraft delivery schedules and customer commitments.
Airbus spoke at the conference on the need for Industrial Maturity. They proposed that in order to have a resilient supply chain there must be zero tolerance on non-quality and safety, innovation and an ongoing drive to remove waste in manufacturing in order to be competitive.
An Aerospace Supply Chain Resilience Report (Roland Berger, 2024) was presented which highlighted key challenges in ramping up production. Many companies face difficulties in scaling, due to the discussed reasons. Supply chain disruptions have worsened, with Tier-1 suppliers hit hardest. To address this, firms are restructuring supply chains, focusing on regionalisation and improved resilience. Recommendations from the report include tackling bottlenecks, enhancing long-term stability, and fostering collaboration to ensure consistent, high-quality production.

The Importance of Zero-Defect Tools for Ramp-Up

As production rates accelerate, ensuring product integrity is paramount. Aerospace components must meet stringent quality and safety standards (such as AS13100, if within the Aero-Engine supply chain), with defects posing severe risks to both operational performance, in-flight safety and regulatory compliance. To mitigate these risks, manufacturers are leveraging zero-defe ct frameworks, such as Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP).
Adopting the Zero Defect tool kit will enable manufacturers to produce high-precision components with minimal waste, reducing the likelihood of defects that could cause costly rework or aircraft grounding. But it will also help with ramp-up.
APQP streamlines aerospace ramp-up by ensuring quality and consistency. It identifies risks early, standardises processes, and aligns suppliers. The Reference Manual RM13145 which is aligned to AS13100 discusses supply chain risk management and how risk factors relating to organisations and products can be mitigated (AESQ, 2024). Ultimately, the framework, when adopted effectively enhances supply chain resilience, reduces defects, and accelerates production scaling.

Striking the Balance Between Speed and Accuracy

While ramping up production is necessary to meet growing demand, the aerospace sector must strike a delicate balance between speed and precision. Supply chain fragility and quality concerns must be addressed through proactive risk management, investment in advanced manufacturing tools, and closer collaboration across the supply network.
By prioritising resilience and Zero Defect methodologies, aerospace manufacturers can navigate the challenges of supply chain uncertainty while ensuring that every aircraft component meets the highest standards of reliability and performance.

SMMT Industry Forum supports aerospace manufacturers and has training endorsed by AESQ member companies that provide expert support in these key areas where skill gaps exist: APQP, PPAP, Lean Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management.

If you would like to discuss how we could support helping with enhancing your organisations quality, reducing defects, and efficiently scaling production to meet rising demand, then please feel free to get in touch:

Joseph Dodd MSc CMgr MCMI Aerospace Quality Management Consultant

Email: [email protected] https://calendly.com/joseph-dodd-industryforum

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