Airbus monthly sales decline, annual targets under greater pressure | Wilnesh News

airbus Late on Wednesday, the company reported a decline in monthly deliveries, putting its annual production targets under pressure as supply chain woes continue to plague the industry.

The European planemaker said it delivered 50 aircraft in September, down from 55 in the same period last year.

Airbus deliveries so far this year total 497 aircraft, exceeding its target of approximately 770 aircraft for the entire period of 2024. In June, the company lowered its annual delivery target from nearly 800 aircraft while delaying production schedules for its best-selling single-aisle jet, the A320.

The company said at the time that it faced “ongoing specific supply chain issues, primarily with respect to engines, aerostructures and cabin equipment.”

The monthly update shows deliveries of 441 single-aisle aircraft and 56 wide-body aircraft so far this year, with top customers including delta and India’s IndiGo.

In 2023, Airbus’s net orders reached a record 2,094 aircraft, and the number of orders increased to 8,598 aircraft. In September, the company took an additional 235 orders, bringing the total for the year to 648.

But production challenges and supply chain shortages across the aviation industry mean manufacturers can’t produce planes as fast as they want. Airbus has launched a new model called the A321XLR, which will become the world’s longest-range single-aisle aircraft. As the client Iberia will be launched in the coming months After numerous delays.

In its half-year results in July, Airbus reported net profit fell to 825 million euros ($902 million) from 1.526 billion euros a year earlier, citing a drag on its aerospace business even as commercial aircraft deliveries boosted revenue. 4% higher.

Analysts said Airbus could still meet its annual delivery targets but would need to ramp up business in the final quarter.

Deutsche Bank’s Christophe Menard called September deliveries “dismal” and pointed to lulls in wide-body aircraft, including A350 and A330 models.

“Meeting year-end delivery guidance will be challenging, but not impossible,” Maynard said in a note.

Citi analysts said a pickup in production in October would be critical to achieving that goal.

“While the full-year delivery target of 770 aircraft remains feasible and is our base case, recent low deliveries reduce this likelihood,” Charles Armitage and Sam Burgess said in a note. sex.

“We note that this change will have little impact on the long-term value of the stock – once markets move beyond near-term downside risks, we believe stocks will reprice,” they said.

While airlines are eager to update their fleets with new, more fuel-efficient models, many problems at Airbus rivals are holding back growth boeing company. In addition to production delays, the U.S. manufacturing giant is dealing with labor disputes and intense regulatory and customer scrutiny amid the ongoing fallout from two fatal crashes and recent flight problems involving its planes.

Boeing said this week it delivered 33 planes in September, six more than last year. Its own backlog totals 5,456 orders.

Airbus shares were up 0.5% at 12:30 pm London time.

—CNBC’s Leslie Josephs contributed to this article.