Airbus aims for improved engine supply amid tight delivery schedule

Between May 1 and November 20, Airbus delivered 289 A320neo family aircraft. Of these deliveries, 160 had LEAP-1A engines and 129 had PW1100G engines. Both CFM International and Pratt & Whitney have faced supply chain challenges affecting their production.

GE Aerospace acknowledged during its Q3 earnings call on October 22 that LEAP engine deliveries would decrease year-on-year. The company attributed this decline partly to production disruptions for the Boeing 737 MAX due to a door plug issue and a machinists' strike.

Rahul Ghai of GE Aerospace reported a reduction in total engine deliveries by 4%, with LEAP deliveries down by 6% year-on-year. Despite this, Boeing continued receiving LEAP-1B engines during the strike period ending November 4.

A critical development is expected with the certification of the LEAP-1A durability kit. GE Aerospace CEO Henry Culp stated that regulators are likely to certify upgrades soon but warned it won't resolve all supply chain issues immediately.

For Airbus to reach its goal of delivering around 770 aircraft in 2024, it must deliver an additional 211 aircraft by year-end. By October's close, Airbus had delivered 559 aircraft. As of mid-November, Airbus handed over an additional fifteen planes.

In June, Airbus reduced its delivery target from around 800 aircraft due to persistent supply chain problems affecting various components like engines and aerostructures. The ramp-up for producing A320neo family planes has also been delayed until 2027 due to these issues.