The Farnborough International Airshow (FIA) 2014 started on Monday, with orders and commitments triple FIA 2012 equivalent figure achieved on the first day of the show.

In the opening ceremony, British Prime Minister David Cameron announced a 1.1 billion pounds (1.85 billion U.S. dollars) investment in capabilities for the armed forces, to better respond to threats including terrorism and cyber attacks, and to boost the British defence sector which is vital to economic growth.

The first day of FIA 2014 saw a number of orders and commitments for new commercial aircraft and engines, totaling about 41.9 billion dollars, over three times that announced on the first day of 2012.

It also highlighted the launch of the Airbus A330-800neo and the A330-900neo, as well as the launch of the Trent 7000 which will be the exclusive engine on the A330neo.

Speaking about the day's closing figures, Chief Executive for airshow organisers, Farnborough International Ltd, Shaun Ormrod said: "These figures are extremely encouraging and reflect the upbeat mood and return to economic growth we have been anticipating."

The FIA, which is held every two years at Farnborough Airport in Hampshire, England, includes a major trade exhibition for the aerospace and defence industries, and a public airshow.

The 2014 event would last for a week to July 20.