Airbus Deliveries Jump Nearly 40% in Q2, Manufacturer Holds Firm on 870-Jet 2026 Goal

A rebound in second-quarter deliveries, fresh Farnborough orders and an unchanged full-year target suggest Airbus has recovered from its slow start to 2026.

Airbus delivered 237 commercial aircraft in the second quarter, nearly 40% more than a year earlier, and held firm on its target of around 870 aircraft for 2026, the manufacturer reported July 29.

The delivery total, up from 170 aircraft in the second quarter of 2025, pushed Airbus’ first-half tally to 351 aircraft. That marks a sharp turnaround from the first quarter, when the company delivered just 114 aircraft amid supplier shortages that slowed final assembly across its jet lineup.

Airbus SE released the figures alongside its half-year 2026 earnings and reaffirmed all of its full-year financial and production guidance, signaling to airlines, lessors and suppliers that the bottlenecks behind its slow start have eased.

Supply Bottlenecks Ease

The weak first quarter stemmed largely from a shortage of geared turbofan engines built by Pratt & Whitney, a subsidiary of RTX Corp. The shortage had left Airbus with what the industry calls “gliders” — fully built airframes parked on the apron without engines to fly them.

During the earnings call, Chief Executive Guillaume Faury said Airbus was in a “normalized situation” on engines and expected to receive the Pratt & Whitney deliveries needed to support its 2026 guidance and midterm targets.

“I’m pleased with the progress made by Team Airbus and by the entire ecosystem. We are actually where we wanted to be, that confirms our trajectory,” Faury said.

Two other issues that held back Q1 deliveries have also been resolved, Airbus said: a fuselage-panel quality defect affecting the A320 narrow-body family, and an administrative delay that had grounded nearly 20 completed aircraft destined for customers in China. Both were cleared during the second quarter, contributing to the delivery surge.

Chief Financial Officer Thomas Toepfer acknowledged that the integration of former Spirit AeroSystems work packages, which Airbus took over in December 2025 to secure aerostructures supply for the A350 and A220 programs, will weigh on results — a low triple-digit million-euro hit to full-year adjusted earnings and a larger, high triple-digit million-euro cash drain.

Revenue and Profit Climb

Airbus’ first-half revenue rose 12% year-over-year to €33.176 billion, while adjusted earnings before interest and taxes climbed 24% to €2.727 billion. Net income for the half totaled €2.243 billion.

The company reaffirmed its full-year guidance of around €7.5 billion in adjusted EBIT and about €4.5 billion in free cash flow before customer financing.

Free cash flow before customer financing was negative €1.166 billion for the first half — a deficit Toepfer said was deliberate, tied to Airbus building up inventory of parts and materials to support higher production rates in 2027 and 2028.

Airbus’ Defense and Space division posted an 84% jump in adjusted operating profit, to €487 million, though company executives cautioned the gain was front-loaded in the first half and unlikely to repeat at the same scale in the second half.

Orders Pile Up at Farnborough

Airbus’ order book grew substantially in the weeks leading up to and during the Farnborough International Airshow in July. Leasing company SMBC Aviation Capital ordered 100 A320neo Family aircraft — 65 A321neos and 35 A320neos.

Scandinavian carrier SAS ordered 18 A330-900 aircraft to support the expansion of its Copenhagen hub.

“On behalf of SAS, I am delighted to announce this order for the Airbus A330-900. Combining outstanding economics with improved environmental performance, the aircraft will play a key role in our long-term fleet strategy,” said Anko van der Werff, SAS’ chief executive.

Riyadh Air, the Saudi startup backed by the kingdom’s Public Investment Fund, firmed up an order for six additional A350-1000s, bringing its total commitment for the jet to 31 aircraft.

“The firm-up of these additional aircraft reflects Riyadh Air’s continued confidence in its growth trajectory and in the future of Saudi Arabia’s aviation sector,” said Adam Boukadida, the airline’s chief financial officer.

Tajikistan-based startup Shohin Airlines disclosed its first-ever Airbus order, for four A320neo Family aircraft, as it shifts from a helicopter-only fleet to scheduled passenger service.

“The signing of our first contract with Airbus marks a milestone not only for Shohin Airlines, but also for the entire civil aviation sector of Tajikistan,” said Zafar Ahmadzoda, the airline’s chief executive.

BermudAir placed its first Airbus order, for 10 A220-300 aircraft, and Saudi low-cost carrier flynas ordered 25 aircraft — five A330-900s and 20 A321neos.

Airbus booked 886 gross commercial orders in the first half, or 821 net after 65 cancellations, lifting its total backlog to 9,222 aircraft as of June 30.

Ramping Up Production

To hit its 870-jet target, Airbus needs to deliver 519 aircraft in the second half — an average of roughly 86.5 a month across its final assembly lines in Toulouse; Hamburg, Germany; Mobile, Alabama; and Tianjin, China. Deliveries are traditionally weighted toward the year’s final months as aircraft complete cabin work and customer acceptance flights.

Airbus is targeting production of 70 to 75 A320 Family aircraft a month by the end of 2027, along with 13 A220s a month in 2028, 12 A350s a month in 2028 and five A330s a month in 2029. The A321neo now accounts for 62% of A320 Family deliveries — 167 of 271 aircraft in the first half — reflecting airlines’ shift toward the larger, higher-capacity variant. Airbus is also developing an A350 freighter, targeting a first flight by the end of 2026 and initial customer deliveries in late 2027.