Post by : Saif Rahman

Airbus, Europe’s prominent aircraft manufacturer, has revealed a downturn in its November aircraft deliveries following a production snag. The company managed to deliver 72 planes in November, raising its cumulative total to 657 for the year. This marks a deceleration Airbus had anticipated earlier this week.

The decline in deliveries intensifies the pressure on Airbus as it strives to align with its newly modified annual target of “around 790” planes for 2025. Achieving this goal requires Airbus to deliver approximately 133 aircraft in December—a significant figure for a single month, nearing the company’s historical high.

CEO Guillaume Faury indicated that November's figures fell short of expectations due to an industrial issue. The challenge centered around metal fuselage panels for the popular A320 aircraft family. These components, sourced from a Spanish supplier, failed to meet specified quality standards. This issue arose just days after Airbus announced a recall to correct a separate software issue affecting some of its aircraft.

Despite facing multiple obstacles this week, Airbus has maintained its financial outlook for the year. It has adjusted its delivery expectations from 820 down to about 790 jets. In Airbus' terminology, “around” encompasses a margin of roughly 20 aircraft, providing some leeway.

Although deliveries have slowed, Airbus secured 75 new orders in November, boosting its total for 2025 to 797 gross orders. After accounting for cancellations, its net total reaches 700. While this keeps Airbus ahead of its U.S. competitor Boeing in deliveries, Boeing currently leads in net orders for the year up to October.

The rivalry between these two aviation giants remains competitive. Boeing, on its path to recovery from previous safety and production issues, reported 782 net orders between January and October. Airbus leads in deliveries but must achieve strong performance in the final month to sustain that edge.

The production hurdles highlight the inherent vulnerability of aircraft manufacturing; a single quality issue can considerably slow output across various facilities. Given that the A320 family represents Airbus's most popular series, any delays in this line significantly affect overall production.

Nonetheless, Airbus has navigated through disruptions in the past, and its management expresses confidence in achieving its objectives. December is set to be a critical month as airlines globally anticipate the arrival of their new aircraft.