Airbus missed the headline delivery target in 2024 by a whisker, according to industry sources citing preliminary data. Airbus released more than 765 jets provisionally to airlines and lessors.
Airbus allegedly delivered more than 120 planes in December bringing the total to just under 765 for the entire year, according to industry sources. Airbus refused to discuss any details in advance of the annual commercial update planned for January 9.
A spokesperson said: “We cannot comment on the figures until then as our figures are being audited according to the usual process.”
The European planemaker forecast “around” 770 deliveries after lowering its goal in July due to problems with supply. It avoided a second potential profit warning by striking a November deal over additional engine supplies.
Sources said that the supply of interiors is a persistent issue. Some deliveries were halted due to complex negotiations between the airline, planemaker, and seat supplier. The 770 target was therefore just barely within reach.
Sources said that the widely watched underlying production of single-aisle aircraft has reached 60 per month, after stagnating around 50 a month as supply chains struggled with recovery from the pandemic. Airbus targets 75 per month in 2027.
Delivery data are subject to audit, and can change last minute. Some discretion is allowed in whether deliveries can booked before the ownership change is complete. However, one source claimed that such “paper deliveries” had fallen in 2024.
Airbus had prepared for a slight mishap in the delivery target. It told analysts that anything less than 20 jets was not considered material and therefore not serious to warrant a profit warning.
Airbus’ spokesperson reaffirmed this margin of errors, noting that CEO Guillaume Faury referred to an error range of plus or less than 20 when discussing the third-quarter result in October. Airbus derives the majority of its operating profits, and most of its cashflow, from commercial jet deliveries.
Bloomberg News reported that Airbus has delivered 760 planes by 2024. Airbus will present its forecasts for 2025 on February 20, along with the full results.