David Bailey is Managing Director of Aerospace Consulting Ltd, Chief Executive Officer of Composites UK, and a Non-Executive Director of Velocity Composites plc. With more than 35 years of experience across the aerospace, defence, power generation, and composites sectors, he combines deep technical expertise with strategic leadership.
David began his career as an apprentice engineer with British Aerospace (Airbus Division) at Broughton before earning a BEng (Hons) in Aeronautical Engineering and a PhD in Aerodynamics from Loughborough University. He went on to hold senior management and technology roles at ALSTOM Power, where he led international R&D programmes in gas turbine design, innovation, and low-carbon technologies.
As Executive Director and later Chief Executive of the North West Aerospace Alliance (NWAA), David represented more than 240 member companies and spearheaded major national and regional initiatives in supply chain excellence, innovation, and workforce development. His programmes supported over 100 companies to secure £250 million in new business, trained more than 900 aerospace professionals, and strengthened collaboration between primes such as Airbus, BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, and Safran. He also represented the UK’s Regional Aerospace Alliances on the Aerospace Growth Partnership Board, advising on national aerospace strategy.
In 2020, David founded Aerospace Consulting, a specialist consultancy delivering strategic and technical projects for industry, academia, and government. The company has led major regional initiatives, including the Lancashire Aerospace Task Force response to the pandemic, and co-delivers the Lancashire Advanced Engineering and Manufacturing Watchtower Programme.
As CEO of Composites UK - the national trade association for the UK’s cross-sector composites industry - David leads an organisation representing over 360 companies, driving growth, innovation, and sustainability across the value chain. At Velocity Composites plc, a manufacturer of advanced carbon fibre kits for aircraft production, he serves as an independent Non-Executive Director and chairs the Environmental, Social Value, and Governance (ESG) Committee.
Elected a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society in 2017, David is recognised for his leadership in strengthening the North West’s aerospace and defence sectors, his commitment to innovation and supply chain excellence, and his passion for developing new talent and leadership within UK manufacturing.