Airbus Holds No.1 Planemaker Title, Faces Engine Supply Strains

Airbus reported a 4% increase in aircraft deliveries last year, reaching a total of 793 planes. The European aerospace giant said the performance keeps it firmly on track to remain the world’s largest planemaker, even as it continues to grapple with industrial challenges and mounting concerns over engine supply constraints.

Airbus warned of a “continued complex and dynamic operating environment” as it posted deliveries edging past its revised goal of around 790 jets, which had been lowered from 820 last month due to a problem at a Spanish fuselage panels supplier.

Airbus said it had won 1,000 gross orders last year, or a net total of 889 after cancellations: both higher than in 2024.

Boeing, which is due to issue its own full-year data on Tuesday, delivered 537 jets up to end-November, giving Airbus an unassailable lead in the manufacturing battle.

Although Airbus met its recently revised target, it remains 70 planes short of its 2019 peak of 863 annual deliveries.

In three out of the last four years Airbus has missed the original delivery target with which it started out the year, though the margin of underperformance has been steadily falling.

Analysts say that highlights how Airbus and Boeing, which is gradually restoring its own production after an internal crisis, face a supply chain still weakened by the Covid-19 pandemic that first hit the headlines five years ago.

“That illustrates an increasingly complex supply chain that they are not fully on top of,” independent aviation analyst Rob Morris said.

Outgoing Airbus planemaking CEO Christian Scherer stressed deliveries remained on an upward trajectory and underlying demand was strong.

“The overall situation is much brighter now with a great deal less bottlenecks,” he told reporters.

✈️ Engine supply delays: Airbus continues to face late deliveries of A320neo engines, particularly from Pratt & Whitney, with no long-term supply agreement yet in place.

📊 Deliveries in 2025: Airbus handed over 793 aircraft, including 607 A320neos (+1%), 93 A220s (+24%), 57 A350s (flat), and a slight rise in A330 wide-bodies (+1%).

🌍 Orders & business outlook: Airbus secured several dozen orders from China in December but fell short of expectations for a 500-plane mega-deal. Talks with AirAsia for ~100 A220s are ongoing.

🆚 Competition with Boeing: CEO Guillaume Faury acknowledged losing ground on new orders after Boeing’s recent wave of deals. Scherer, Airbus’s commercial chief, welcomed Boeing’s rebound, calling competition healthy for the industry.

⚖️ Market perspective: Despite supply chain challenges and missed mega-orders, Airbus remains the world’s largest planemaker, while industry observers note Scherer’s pragmatic stance on market-share battles and rising competition from China.