Course maintained, against winds and tides. Despite the numerous tensions within the supply chain, Airbus confirmed, on Wednesday October 30, its objective of delivering around 770 aircraft this year. A highly anticipated announcement in the aeronautics sector, made during the presentation of the group’s quarterly results. The manufacturer having delivered 497 devices over the first 9 months of the year, therefore remains to ensure 273 deliveries, or an average of 91 devices per month for the last quarter. The traditional Airbus end-of-year sprint promises to be arduous, especially as several major suppliers are already sticking their tongues out.
Guillaume Faury, the executive chairman of Airbus, did not deny the difficulty of meeting the objective. “This isn’t the first time we’ve had so many planes to deliver in such a short time, but every time we’ve done it, it hasn’t been a walk in the park.», summarized the leader. In 2023, the aircraft manufacturer managed to deliver 247 aircraft during the last three months of the year. After having revised downwards last June its initial objective of delivering 800 aircraft this year, the group is seeking at all costs to increase its production rates. Especially since it faces a chronic lack of efficiency, which the internal Lead plan – recently unveiled – must curb.
No “gliders” in sight at the moment
But the exercise is proving to be most perilous this year as the engine manufacturers equipping the A320neo, CFM International (the joint company between Safran and GE Aerospace) and Pratt & Whitney, are experiencing significant difficulties in delivering their propulsion systems on time. . Safran notably warned on October 25 that it would deliver 10% fewer engines in 2024 compared to the previous year. At the start of the year, Safran expected growth of between 20% and 25%, before revising its projections downward last summer, to aim for a lower increase of between 0 and 5%.
«We are not assembling gliders as we speak.however, clarified Guillaume Faury, referring to the nickname given to devices leaving the assembly lines without their engines. But in fact, it is the availability of engines, from Pratt & Whitney and CFM, which sets the pace for the increase in production rates. I sincerely hope that we will not have to produce gliders during the end of the year.» And added: “engines are becoming rare, and will continue to be rare in the coming months, due to what GE Aerospace and Safran are experiencing in terms of their operations“. At Safran, we argue that supply problems are concentrated above all at the level of high-pressure turbine blades.
An unchanged industrial calendar
Another program to suffer directly from the default of a key supplier: the A350. The American subcontractor Spirit always delivers long-haul fuselage sections late, from its factories in Kinston (North Carolina, United States) and Saint-Nazaire (Loire-Atlantique), in France. “This program faces specific problems which were expected to have an impact on production rate increases in 2025», said Guillaume Faury, mentioning the American company by name but also difficulties in the supply of cabin equipment.
Year in and year out, Airbus’ industrial calendar is not changed one iota at this stage. In particular for its flagship program: the aircraft manufacturer still plans to reach 75 monthly deliveries of the A320neo in 2027, compared to around 48 in 2023. The same goes for the A220, which should increase from a rate of 6 aircraft per month l last year to 14 in 2026. The production rate of the A330 should stabilize at 4 aircraft per month. As for the A350, despite the turbulence still expected next year, the target remains unchanged with an expected rate of 12 monthly units reached in 2028.
Christian Scherer replaced in 2026
The ship holds up in the storm, but its captain will however be replaced. In the end, this is the only real surprise in the presentation of these results. Appointed to the position of general director of the commercial aircraft division last January, Christian Scherer will be replaced at the start of 2026 by Lars Wagner, current boss of the German engine manufacturer MTU. “This in no way indicates that Christian didn’t do the job, he actually did an excellent job», Supported Guillaume Faury. The leader, on the other hand, underlined the need to anticipate the replacement of Christian Scherer, who will be 64 years old in 2026, and to remove any uncertainty as to his successor. No change in sight, however, Guillaume Faury: the board of directors proposes to renew his mandate, expiring at the end of 2025.
If some major suppliers are struggling and several aeronautical subcontractors are experiencing financial difficulties, Airbus has revealed a rather flattering financial report. Namely: a turnover of 15.7 billion euros in the third quarter, up 5%, as well as profits amounting to 983 million euros, up 22%. Over the first nine months of the year, turnover reached 44.5 billion euros, compared to 42.6 billion euros last year over the same period. Only the strong swell felt by the Airbus Defense and Space division currently seems to be causing the ship to rock somewhat.
Source: www.usinenouvelle.com
