Airbus SE experienced an uptick in aircraft deliveries in February compared to January’s disappointing figures, signaling progress in addressing supplier issues that have affected production at the European manufacturer. Estimates from aviation consultancy Cirium Ascend suggest that Airbus delivered between 35 and 39 jetliners last month, a notable increase from January’s total of 25, which was lower than Boeing Co.’s deliveries—a rare setback for Airbus in this key performance metric. The company has refrained from commenting ahead of the official February delivery figures, which are anticipated in the coming week.
Airbus has been grappling with an engine shortage and complications stemming from challenges faced by a key supplier of structural components, Spirit Aerosystems Holdings Inc. Despite the improvement in February, a combined total of up to 64 aircraft over the first two months would still represent the slowest start to a year for Airbus since 2021, when the company was still navigating the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Last month, Airbus shares declined after CEO Guillaume Faury indicated that issues at Spirit would impact the production of the A350 twin-aisle and A220 single-aisle jets in the early part of the year, hindering the ramp-up of these programs. The engine shortage is also affecting the output of Airbus’s best-selling A320 narrowbody family. Faury noted that the company anticipates delivering fewer aircraft in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the previous year, although he expects conditions to “normalize” in the latter half of the year.
To mitigate the situation, Airbus is acquiring work packages for the A220 and A350 as most of Spirit is being reabsorbed by its former owner, Boeing, with full control of the parts expected by July. The world’s largest aircraft manufacturer has set a target of delivering 820 aircraft this year, an increase from 2024 but still below the pre-Covid peak of 863 planes in 2019. In the same period last year, Airbus delivered a total of 79 jets.
Rob Morris, Cirium Ascend’s global head of consultancy, emphasized the need for Airbus to accelerate its delivery pace to meet the 820 aircraft goal. Monthly deliveries are a critical metric for the aircraft manufacturing duopoly, as the majority of payment for an aircraft is made upon delivery. Production typically begins slowly for Airbus and gains momentum throughout the year. Morris noted that the results from the first two months were likely factored into the forecast provided by the company on February 20, expressing confidence that Airbus would not issue guidance that is unachievable.
