The strong commercial aerospace market has delivered a boost for UK engineering group GKN’s Bristol area plants, with sales of their aircraft parts continuing to climb.
Organic sales growth for the group’s aerospace division rose by 5% to £546m in the first quarter of this year, helping it achieve a 4% increase in trading profit at £56m. 
However, sales were hit by major customer Airbus taking back in-house a supply-chain contract – reducing the headline figure by £15m.
Adverse currency movements also affected sales, effectively wiping out any gains.
Military aerospace sales were flat and GKN warned they were likely decline during the rest of the year.
GKN’s Filton operation, which it acquired from Airbus in 2008, employs around 1,500 people producing wing sections mainly for Airbus’s existing models.
GKN also designs, manufactures and assembles complex wing structures for aircraft such as French group Dassault’s new Falcon 5X super mid-sized business jet and Lockheed Martin of the US’s F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter.
It makes pioneering composite wing parts at Avonmouth for Airbus’s A350XWB.
GKN group sales rose 7% to £1.92bn with trading profit up 19% to £166m.
Chief executive Nigel Stein said: “We have delivered a strong performance in the first quarter despite adverse currency translation impacting the reported sterling results.
“Looking forward to the rest of the year, tougher prior year comparators mean that organic growth is likely to be more modest. However, our market leading positions, advanced technology and extensive global footprint should make 2014 another year of progress.”
