Can Airbus Overcome a 3% Delivery Dip to Meet Its Ambitious 2025 Target?

Highlights:

• Airbus delivered 434 jets in January–August, a 3% decline year-on-year.

• The company has booked 600 gross orders, netting 504 after cancellations.

• Despite engine and cabin supply delays, Airbus targets 820 deliveries for 2025.

• Orders include 90 jets from Avolon and seven A350-1000s from an undisclosed customer.

Airbus Delivery Trends and Supply Chain Pressures
In August alone, Airbus delivered 61 aircraft, keeping momentum but still reflecting a cumulative setback compared to 2024. The underlying cause appears twofold: delays in engine deliveries—particularly from CFM International and Pratt & Whitney—and bottlenecks in cabin equipment such as seats. Airbus has adopted a strategy of assembling “gliders,” or airframes without engines, in anticipation of supply normalization. However, each glider requires one to two months for conversion into a fully completed aircraft once engines arrive, slowing delivery cadence.

Demand Still Strong: Orders and Bookings
Despite operational delays, Airbus continues to demonstrate robust demand, logging 600 gross orders in 2025. After cancellations, the net total stands at 504, a strong signal of forward momentum. Key bookings include a 90-jet deal from leasing giant Avolon and an order for seven A350-1000 wide-body jets from an undisclosed customer in August. This sustained demand underlines both the resilience of airline expansion plans and confidence in Airbus’s diverse product lineup.

Full-Year Projection: Catching Up to 820
Airbus aims to deliver 820 aircraft in 2025—a 7% increase over the 766 aircraft delivered in 2024. To stay on track, the manufacturer must significantly accelerate output in the final four months of the year. Although half-year deliveries fell by 5%, the company remains cautiously optimistic. A gradual monthly uptick combined with a planned ramp-up of A320neo production to around 60 units per month—on the path to 75 per month by 2027—underpins Airbus’s confidence in reaching its full-year target.

Supplier and Industry Pressures
The supply chain continues to test Airbus’s resilience. Shortages of engines and cabin components remain the most pressing obstacles. Airlines have begun voicing frustration, with executives from carriers like Flyadeal calling delays “inexcusable.” Airbus, meanwhile, has reorganized leadership roles to strengthen procurement and supplier relationships, including shifting senior executives into strategic global positions such as India and South Asia. These moves highlight the critical role supply networks play in sustaining production at scale.

Looking Ahead
Airbus enters the final quarter of 2025 at a critical juncture. Its ability to meet the ambitious 820-delivery target depends heavily on supplier recovery, glider conversions, and tighter production efficiency. Airline demand is not in question—orders remain steady, and carriers continue to plan capacity expansions. What will matter is execution: if Airbus can align its supply chain and ramp deliveries, it will not only rebound from the early-year setback but also reinforce its dominance in the global jet market, setting the stage for growth momentum in 2026.