Airbus Delivers 793 Aircraft in 2024, Surpasses Revised Annual Target Despite A320 Production Challenges

Airbus SE delivered 793 aircraft to customers in 2024, narrowly surpassing its revised annual target of 790 units despite facing significant production challenges with its popular A320 family. The European planemaker achieved this milestone through a remarkable December performance, when it delivered 136 aircraft in the final month alone.

Strong December Performance Saves Annual Target

The company's ability to meet its delivery goal came after a challenging year marked by production setbacks. Airbus had originally set an ambitious target of 820 aircraft deliveries but was forced to revise this down to 790 units in December following the discovery of faulty fuselage panels on the A320 family that required extensive additional inspections.

Record Orders and Growing Backlog

Beyond deliveries, Airbus demonstrated strong market demand by recording 889 net orders throughout 2024. This robust order intake pushed the company's total backlog to 8,754 aircraft, providing substantial visibility for future production and revenue streams.

The final week of December proved particularly productive for new business, with Airbus securing deals for more than 140 narrowbody A320 jets from Chinese airlines and aircraft lessors. These late-year contracts contributed significantly to the company's overall order performance.

A320 Family Recovery

Despite the production challenges that emerged during the year, the A320 family showed signs of recovery. Airbus delivered 607 A320 family jets in 2024, marking the highest delivery count for this aircraft series since 2019. This achievement came even as the company dealt with quality control issues that required additional inspection protocols.

Industry Context and Future Outlook

Airbus has not yet announced its delivery expectations for 2025, though analysts at Bloomberg Intelligence project the company could deliver approximately 900 aircraft in 2026. The company's performance stands in contrast to Boeing, which has maintained lower production rates following quality issues that emerged in early 2024.

The successful achievement of revised delivery targets demonstrates Airbus's operational resilience and ability to adapt to production challenges while maintaining strong customer relationships and order momentum in the competitive commercial aviation market.