Commercial aircraft orders for the third quarter are the lowest on record after just 13 aircraft orders were placed worldwide, according to new research from industry body ADS.

July and August, with four and nine orders respectively, were responsible for the only aircraft orders in Q3 after no orders were placed in September. This equates to a decline of 91.4 per cent on the same quarter in 2019.

Commercial aircraft deliveries for the same period also show the impact the pandemic continues to have on the sector with 173 aircraft being delivered, the worst Q3 on record.

Of these 173 aircraft delivered, 135 were single-aisle and just 38 were wide-body due to the decline in long haul international travel and demand for larger commercial jets in recent months.

September saw an uptick in deliveries to levels almost similar to February 2020 before lockdowns across the globe, however this is still far below normal levels expected for this time of year.

ADS chief executive Paul Everitt said: "The aerospace and aviation industries have invested in robust health and safety measures as part of aircraft design which makes the risk of transmission when travelling aboard an aircraft extremely low. We need to continue to work together internationally to improve consumer confidence and encourage a return to the skies.

"The quarantine period that passengers face when they return home is one of the main barriers to UK aviation's recovery and testing can play a major role in reducing this. The Government should rapidly implement a testing regime so that the 14-day quarantine period can be shortened. This will help improve confidence amongst travellers and in turn put the aviation and aerospace sectors on a path towards recovery."