Toulouse, France – Airbus, the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer, on Wednesday lowered its target for commercial aircraft deliveries in 2025 to approximately 790 planes, down from its previous forecast of around 820. This reduction is attributed to a supplier quality issue affecting fuselage panels in the A320 family, the company’s best-selling model.
Defects in the aircraft’s structural panels
Airbus engineers have revealed defects in a wider range of A320 fuselage panels as they prepare to inspect hundreds of aircraft. Around 40% of the affected planes remain on the assembly line.
A presentation to airlines seen by Reuters indicated that the affected parts come with the wrong thickness, as a result of the stretching and finishing process carried out by Seville-based Spanish company Sofitec Aero.
Reuters was the first to report the industrial quality issue on Monday, following a software update that affected thousands of A320 aircraft over the weekend.
Impact on deliveries and fiscal year goals
Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury confirmed on Tuesday that the problem with the fuselage panels did indeed affect deliveries last November.
The company is expected to release its November delivery figures on Friday, but industry sources told Reuters that the company delivered only 72 aircraft during the month, which is less than expected.
Despite lowering its delivery target, Airbus said in a statement released Wednesday that its financial targets for the current year remain unchanged.
