Airbus said it is on track to meet its target to deliver around 870 aircraft by the end of the year, as the world's largest planemaker seeks to shrug off persistent supply chain constraints that have hampered output. Lars Wagner, chief executive of Airbus's commercial aircraft division, said he was "confident" that the European group would meet its target, telling reporters in Toulouse on Wednesday that Airbus had "everything in hand to make the figure a reality."
Airbus delivered 547 commercial aircraft in the year to the end of September, leaving it with more than 320 planes to hand over to airline customers over the final three months of the year. Targets for delivery by Airbus and its US rival Boeing are closely watched by investors, as planemakers typically receive the bulk of their payment from airlines at that time. Airbus has been plagued by production defects and supply chain bottlenecks over the past two years, despite surging demand for its best-selling A320 narrow-body family, which is sold out for the next eight years.
The company on Wednesday highlighted delays from US engine maker Pratt & Whitney for its A320 jets and quality issues with cabin seats as its two main remaining challenges. Despite these constraints, Wagner backed planned production increases. The group is on track to produce 70 to 75 A320s a month by the end of 2027, and it also wants to raise output of its long-haul A350 beyond the 12-a-month target it has set for 2028.
Wagner said Airbus was continuing to study the A350-2000, a larger variant of the A350 that would compete directly with Boeing's long-delayed 777X. He added that there is "clearly demand" for a longer, stretched A220 and A350, with decisions on the A350 to be made "sooner rather than later." Airbus is also pressing ahead with plans for a successor to the A320, which Wagner called a "game changer," with a decision on launching it expected by the end of the decade.
Source: Financial Times Companies · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing