Airbus is still expecting a backloaded delivery profile this year, as supply-chain issues persist, but believes it is making progress on its business priorities.
Over the first quarter it handed over 136 commercial aircraft, down from 142 in the same quarter of 2024.
Chief executive Guillaume Faury, speaking during a briefing on 30 April, said the airframer had parked 17 aircraft during the first quarter because they were still awaiting engines from CFM International.
He says the situation will probably continue to the end of summer with a ”likely” increase in the number of such “gliders”, resulting in “rather soft” delivery numbers for the first half before they normalise in the second to meet the guidance figures.
The company’s commercial aircraft adjusted earnings for the quarter reached €494 million ($560 million), down 3%, on a 4% rise in revenues to €9.5 billion.
Airbus says the lower earnings reflect a dip in deliveries, offset by a favourable hedge rate and lower research and development expenditure.
The company is maintaining its full-year guidance – including 820 commercial aircraft deliveries – but this still excludes the potential effects of tariffs.
Tariffs are “adding complexity”, says Faury, adding that their implementation, scope and duration “remain uncertain”.
“We are closely monitoring and assessing the situation, but it is too early to quantify the impact today,” he says, adding that the company’s direct financial exposure lies mainly in cost increases for subassemblies imported to its US and Chinese final assembly lines.
Faury states that Airbus is continuing to ramp-up production “in line with our plan” but the delivery profile “will be backloaded”.
Its ramp-up targets are unchanged, with the A320neo-family aiming for a monthly production rate of 75 aircraft in 2027.
Airbus is still intending to reach 12 aircraft monthly for the A350 in 2028 and 14 for the A220 in 2026.
It is nearing completion of a deal to take over Spirit AeroSystems work packages, notably for the A350 and A220, enabling it to increase production efficiency on both aircraft programmes.
Chief financial officer Thomas Toepfer says Airbus is working on a timeline of “roughly three years” to integrate the Spirit packages.
Airbus says it is also “stabilising” build rates for A330s at four aircraft per month.
