Aeralis was banking on winning a UK Government contract to replace the Hawk jets currently flown by the RAF’s Red Arrows, which are set to retire in 2030.

The company had pitched itself as the only British firm capable of supplying a UK-designed and built advanced jet trainer.

However, around 30 jobs have now been lost after the company entered administration following a period of financial difficulty.

Joanne Milner, representing administrators Buchler Phillips, said: “Aeralis has developed a highly differentiated proposition within the aerospace and defence sector.

“We hope that the administration process will provide an opportunity to explore routes to preserve and develop that value for stakeholders.”

Aeralis chairman Robin Southwell said the decision to go into administration had been taken after “careful consideration of the company’s position and the funding challenges it has faced over recent months”.

“We will continue to support the joint administrators as they explore viable, sustainable options for the future of the business and engage with interested parties,” he added.

Why did Aeralis fall into administration?

BBC News reports that Aeralis’ main investor, Barzan Holdings, the strategic investment and procurement arm of Qatar’s Ministry of Defence, withdrew its funding amid the US-Israeli war with Iran.

Administrators shared the company had faced “a sustained period of pressure” on its cashflow after “continued delays to the UK Defence Investment Plan, combined with geopolitical factors affecting sources of funding”.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed that the jet trainer procurement process is still underway.

An MoD spokesperson said: “The fast jet trainer programme is ongoing and no final procurement decisions have been made.

“More broadly, this government is backing British jobs, British industry, and British innovators – since July 2024, we have signed 1,200 major contracts, with 93% of the spend going to UK-based companies.”

Aeralis estimated that its programme could have created 4,000 new jobs in the UK and generated £600 million in annual exports.

However, the design remained digital-only, pending government support to move into production.

The company had planned for parts of the jet to be designed and manufactured at sites across the UK, with final assembly at Prestwick International Airport in Ayrshire, Scotland.

Last year’s Strategic Defence Review recommended that the RAF’s ageing Hawk jets be replaced with a “cost-effective, advanced trainer jet,” and advised that MoD procurement should benefit UK businesses.

In an interview prior to the company’s collapse, Mr Southwell urged the government to provide direction to help unlock industry growth.

Other contenders believed to be in the running to supply the next trainer aircraft include BAE Systems and Leonardo.

Aeralis had also explored producing jets in France but had prioritised a UK-based model focused on jobs and exports.

Earlier in May, the country’s tourism minister, Olga Kefalogianni, said the Greek government did not want visitors to be “burdened” by bureaucratic procedures when entering or leaving the country.

She confirmed at the time that British visitors would not face biometric checks at the border at any time during the summer season.

However, European and Greek authorities have now clarified that suspension of the system is permitted only during periods of high passenger traffic at specific entry points and does not apply to any country or nationality.

In response to a question from The Associated Press on Thursday (May 14), the Foreign Ministry said: “We have not received any further update or clarification as to whether, for example, specific nationalities are temporarily exempt from the relevant procedure.”

This won’t just affect Brits, but any non-EU (European Union) nationals who have to go through the biometric scanners.

Greece insists it has “successfully started the full operation of the Entry-Exit System”.

However, in practice, it suspended biometric checks on UK visitors in early April after long queues built up at Corfu airport.

Private tour operators fear additional airport checks could discourage travel from the UK to the EU, and widen the disparity with EU citizens, who can move within the bloc without passport checks

What are the new EU entry/exit system rules?

BBC News reports that back in April, the EU completed the introduction of its controversial new digital border procedure, known as the “entry-exit system”, or EES.

It requires short-term visitors from outside the EU and the European Economic Area to register biometric data each time they enter or leave the Schengen free travel zone.

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The first time they cross the border, this is meant to include fingerprints and a facial scan, with one of those being checked each time they go through passport control.

Although the system is working well in some parts of the EU, there have been serious difficulties in others, with some passengers experiencing queues of up to three hours.

Have you experienced long delays travelling to Europe due to biometric checks? Let us know in the comments.

Tens of thousands of people have descended on the capital today for two rival marches, which has necessitated a £4.5 million police operation with 4,000 officers deployed.

Police have estimated about 50,000 people are set to attend the Unite the Kingdom march organised by Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, while 30,000 are expected to go to the pro-Palestine Nakba Day rally.

Pro-Palestine rally forming up in Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London (Image: Izzie Addison/PA Wire)

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Armoured vehicles, police horses, dogs, drones and helicopters will be deployed along with the officers on duty as the Met aims to avoid clashes between the two rallies.

Crowds have gathered for the Unite the Kingdom march, many waving Union flags, while protesters in South Kensington are carrying Palestine flags and signs reading “smash the far right” for the pro-Palestine rally.

People take part in Tommy Robinson’s Unite the Kingdom march in central London (Image: Maja Smiejkowska)

Sean Woodcock, Labour MP for Banbury, released a statement condemning those marching.

He said: “I have spoken and written about my patriotism and love for my country before. Those marching in London today are not that Britain.”

Sharing a pre-written statement on social media platform X, he added: “It may sound odd coming from a politician of the left, but I love my country.

“Not loud nationalism. Not bedecking lampposts with flags. Not declaring love of a country as loudly as possible. Not pretending that our history is all good, or bad.

“The riots in the summer of 2024 were incredibly disturbing. And they didn’t come out of nowhere.

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“There are a lot of people who feel scared of what they see on their streets, or on the news. Or they feel like their country has let them down by not giving them the opportunity to thrive.

“I hear that and I accept it. However, I also know that we’ve seen this country at its best over recent years.

Sean Woodcock, Labour MP for Banbury (Image: River Learning Trust)

“We’ve had the Platinum Jubilee when we all cried at the Queen and Paddington. Street parties to celebrate VE day. But we’ve also seen people opening their homes to those fleeing war in Ukraine.

“We saw it during the pandemic, when everyone but particularly young people stayed at home, making huge sacrifices never asked of previous generations to keep other people safe.

“This is a patriotism that believes love of country is best expressed not in words, but in service.”

It comes after Prime Minister Keir Starmer said at a visited to the Met Police command centre on Friday that the Unite the Kingdom organisers were “peddling hatred and division, plain and simple”.

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Chants of “Keir Starmer’s a wanker” and “we want Starmer out” could be heard on Kingsway from the Unite the Kingdom march.

Some protesters at the front of the march were carrying wooden crosses and chanted “Christ is king”, while others threw beach balls and drank cans of alcohol as they waited for the protest to begin.

At the pro-Palestine march, a large group of protesters carrying banners and placards reading “Bristol stands with Palestine”, “Stop Trump, Stop Farage”, and “Free Palestinian Hostages” gathered with many wearing keffiyehs.