50 Airbus deliveries in September; 770 by year-end looks unlikely
October 9, 2024
In September 2024, Airbus delivered a total of 50 aircraft to 29 customers, taking the year’s total deliveries to date to 497 units to 77 customers. 235 orders were also added to the French manufacturer’s total, including 70 A321neos for Cebu Pacific Air.
Figures were marginally up on August’s 47 deliveries, although still down on July’s 77 units. However, in June, Airbus updated its earlier full-year target of 800 commercial aircraft deliveries down to 770, citing “persistent specific supply chain issues mainly in engines, aerostructures and cabin equipment”.
This revised forecast of 770 commercial units still remains higher than 2023’s full year deliveries of 735 aircraft. At the time, Airbus also stated that it “continues to ramp up towards a rate of 75 A320 family aircraft per month, which is now expected in 2027” (rather than 2026).
However, given ongoing supply chain shortages, it’s uncertain whether this 770 target will be realistic. In the last three months of 2023, Airbus delivered 71, 64 and 112 units respectively, totalling 247 for the final quarter: even if this momentum could be replicated this year, the OEM would still be 26 aircraft short of its already-revised prediction.
During the company’s Q2 2024 earnings call, Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury confirmed that the company’s “cross-division task force” was “fully in motion to leverage [Airbus’] supply chain intelligence and mitigate potential impact from the degraded geopolitical context,” noting that semiconductors were among the “several [supply chain] crises” Airbus had managed to mitigate. However, regarding equipment needed nearer the final assembly line, “we have far less ability to react,” noted Faury.
Rival manufacturer Boeing, however, has delivered just 291 aircraft so far this year (including 33 in September trailing behind Airbus’ 50 for the month).
