Airbus delivery delays to extend for three more years amid supply chain struggles
Airbus has informed airlines that aircraft delivery delays will persist for another three years, as the European manufacturer continues to grapple with longstanding supply chain challenges. The cautious outlook was reinforced during a recent customer meeting in Toulouse, intensifying pressure on Airbus to show tangible progress toward its goal of producing 75 aircraft per month of its flagship A320neo family.
Industry sources told Reuters that Airbus is rescheduling deliveries originally planned for 2027 and 2028. A senior airline executive, who requested anonymity, said, “Airbus is talking about delays for aircraft in both 2027 and 2028,” noting that these updates are communicated in fragments every few months. Another source confirmed that aircraft scheduled for delivery late this decade are now facing six-month delays. A third person involved in a recent customer briefing remarked, “There is no real sign of improvement.”
An Airbus spokesperson stated that the company is “working closely with suppliers to mitigate the impact of the current situation on our customers.”
Although Airbus has reported some progress in stabilizing its supply chain—still recovering from post-pandemic shortages of parts and labor—the manufacturer continues to face bottlenecks related to engines and certain structural components. These issues are particularly affecting the A320neo family, the company’s best-selling product line.
Earlier this month, leasing company Air Lease Corp reported receiving delay notifications from Airbus concerning A320neo and A321neo aircraft for 2027 and 2028. While leasing firms may face more delivery volatility, the continued warnings highlight growing concern about new aircraft shortages in the global market.
Industry insiders note that issuing delay notices three years in advance is unusual, reflecting both Airbus's record production targets and rising airline demands for transparency. One executive commented, “When you reach these levels of production and plot the graphs of what you want to build versus what you can build, the gap becomes massive.” Several leasing firms have flagged aerospace supply chain risks extending through the rest of the decade.
Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury reiterated in January his confidence in achieving the long-postponed goal of producing 75 aircraft per month by 2027, and last month stated that production was still ramping up toward that rate. Analysts estimate current output is around 60 aircraft per month.
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Short-term deliveries also remain under pressure. Rob Morris, global head of consultancy at Cirium Ascend, noted that Airbus had delivered 32 aircraft so far in May and could surpass 40 by month’s end, though it's unlikely to match the 53 delivered in May last year. Deliveries from January to April fell 5%. Still, Airbus reaffirmed its full-year target of 820 commercial deliveries—up 7% from last year—but warned that engine supply issues are expected to worsen before improving.
CFM International—a joint venture between GE Aerospace and Safran Engines—is struggling to meet surging demand for spare parts and has yet to agree on a timeline to support Airbus’s 75-a-month production goal, according to three industry sources. CFM declined to comment. Safran, however, reported last month that it had seen supply chain improvements and was ready to recover from a slow start to 2025.
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