British aerospace firm Aeralis enters administration after funding pressure

Aeralis, the British aerospace company bidding to build a replacement for the Red Arrows' Hawk jets, has gone into administration.

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The move puts about 30 jobs at risk and leaves the future of the advanced jet trainer programme uncertain.

The company had been positioning itself as the only British firm able to design and build a new trainer aircraft in the UK.

It had hoped to win a government contract before the Hawks are due to be retired in 2030.

Administrators said Aeralis had faced a sustained period of pressure on cashflow, citing delays to the UK Defence Investment Plan and geopolitical factors affecting funding sources.

The Ministry of Defence said the fast jet trainer programme is ongoing and no final procurement decisions have been made.

The collapse matters because the project was tied to wider questions about how the UK will replace the aircraft used by the Red Arrows.

It also highlights the dependence of defence start-ups on long procurement timelines and external investment.

Aeralis had also been exploring a possible agreement to make jets for the French government, but that did not materialise.

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