Worldwide, airlines have been slowly but steadily putting into operation two next-generation aircraft -- Boeing's 787 Dreamliner and the Airbus A350 -- both of which have shells made heavily of composite materials, such as carbon-fibre reinforced plastic, instead of aluminium.

BBC: Increased comfort in the sky

Mr Alexander added that the government, together with Germany and France, was putting additional funds into the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, to aid work on establishing global agreements to prevent companies avoiding tax by moving profits from one country to another with a lower tax rate.

BBC: Tax not 'voluntary', Alexander tells firms