The city of Bristol has a long history with aviation and is now a hub for aerospace companies. From defense-focused companies to commercial airliner manufacturers, Bristol is home to a cadre of corporations innovating in the aerospace field. These are some of the top aerospace companies in Bristol that you should know.
Top aerospace companies in Bristol
- Airbus
- Rolls-Royce
- MBDA
- Boeing
- Leidos
Top Aerospace Companies in Bristol
MBDA develops missile and defense systems for military organizations in Europe and the United States. The company has various defense offerings that work in air, ground, maritime and battlefield environments.
Vertical Aerospace is an electric aviation company that focuses its product engineering efforts on eVTOL, or electric vertical take-off and landing, aircraft. Commonly known as “air taxis” or flying cabs, eVTOLS hover in a similar manner to a helicopter, able to move vertically as well as horizontally through space.
Boeing is one of the largest aerospace companies in the world with development facilities and corporate offices around the globe. The company designs and manufactures commercial and military aircraft. Boeing’s Bristol location develops military technologies as part of the Boeing Defense U.K. partnership.
Rolls-Royce is well known for its luxury cars, but it also develops high-performance aircraft engines for commercial planes. In Bristol, Rolls-Royce’s facility develops new technologies like engine blades, which can help reduce carbon output from its products.
GKN Aerospace is an aviation and aerospace technology organization. It is a Tier 1 company, which means it is the direct supplier of parts and systems to original equipment manufacturers. The company engineers full systems and components for aircraft, such as wings and fuselages. GKN is noted within the industry as a top provider of aircraft windows and landing gear.
Airbus is an aerospace manufacturer that develops commercial and defense aircrafts and other technologies. In Europe, Airbus is a contractor with various defense programs, which has led it to develop uncrewed planes and drones. It has also invested heavily in sustainability programs and aims to build a hydrogen-powered airliner.
Aerospace and automotive components fabricator iCOMAT specializes in lightweight composite parts. Its work is built on Rapid Tow Shearing technology, which the company patented. The RTS process allows carbon fiber tape to be used on curved parts without compromising the directionality or integrity of the tow, which refers to a group of carbon fiber filaments.
Vistair Systems is an aviation technology company that specializes in operational data management systems. These protocols pull data from flight and aviation tech operations into a single coherent digital platform to be processed into usable narrative insights. The company’s DocuNet tool takes these insights and publishes them for its clients’ enterprise-wide internal communications.
Honeywell has diversified operations within the aerospace and defense sector. It offers aircraft systems to commercial, business and cargo airlines, as well as niche products like combined hydrocarbon ozone catalysts, which mitigate the odor that is released as a byproduct of aviation air pressure systems.
Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, Leidos develops technology solutions for various industries, including defense and aerospace. As part of its defense work, the company develops military-grade aircraft and support products.
