Airbus faces pressure as it accelerates deliveries toward ambitious annual target

Delays with engine suppliers have caused Airbus to fall behind schedule earlier in the year. In the first quarter, monthly deliveries averaged just 45 units; this increased slightly to an average of 56 per month in the second quarter. The majority of these delays are linked to 'gliders'—aircraft that are fully built but cannot be delivered until their engines arrive.

Despite these setbacks, CEO Guillaume Faury remains optimistic about reaching the annual goal. Speaking recently with CNBC, Faury said: "All our attention will be on engine deliveries from both CFM and Pratt & Whitney, but they’re telling us that they will be able to deliver what we need. So we remain positive for the back end of the year."

The A320 family accounted for most of September's deliveries: Airbus handed over 18 A320neo jets and 40 A321neos. One A319neo was also delivered—to Air China—as part of a larger order for ten such aircraft.

In addition to narrowbodies, other models delivered included nine A220s (an improvement after several months below targeted output), four A330neos, and one A350 widebody jet. This brings total deliveries so far this year to customers across 79 airlines.

Some airlines received notably high numbers of new jets from Airbus during January–September:

- China Southern Airlines accepted delivery of two A319neos, eleven A320neos, and twenty-one A321neos.

- Delta Air Lines added six A220s, fifteen A321neos, seven A330-900s, and three A350-900s.

- IndiGo took thirty-one new A321s as part of its large outstanding order book.

Airbus also reached milestones outside raw delivery numbers:

- The manufacturer’s Mobile facility in Alabama produced its hundredth US-built A220 jet this month.

- In terms of overall commercial jetliner history, September marked when cumulative deliveries for the Airbus A320 family surpassed those for Boeing’s long-dominant 737 series.

- Air Côte d'Ivoire received its first widebody—an A330-900—which enabled it to begin nonstop service between Abidjan and Paris.

- Papua New Guinea’s flag carrier Air Niugini took delivery of its first-ever Airbus model (an A220-300) featuring a special livery commemorating Papua New Guinea’s fiftieth independence anniversary.

- Croatia Airlines introduced its first high-capacity (127 seats) Airbus A220-100 as part of plans for an all-A220 fleet by 2027.

With just under four months remaining in the calendar year and hundreds more planes still due for delivery if targets are to be met, all eyes will be on whether supply chain constraints can ease enough—and whether past end-of-year surges can be repeated—to help Airbus achieve its stated goals.