Airbus (EPA:AIR) delivered 547 aircraft in the first nine months of 2026, up from 507, and kept its full-year target of around 870, it said on October 28.
Hitting that target means delivering about 323 aircraft in the fourth quarter, well above the pace of the first three. The back-loaded schedule is tying up cash: free cash flow before customer financing was negative at €1.27bn, against minus €914mn a year earlier, as inventory built up ahead of year-end deliveries.
“These nine-month results reflect the upward trajectory of our civil and military ramp-up, supported by strong demand for our products across the entire portfolio,” said CEO Guillaume Faury.
Demand is not the constraint. Gross commercial orders almost doubled to 1,174 from 610, with net orders of 1,105 after cancellations, and the backlog stood at 9,310 aircraft at the end of September. Orders have kept coming since, with Atlantic Airways firming two A320neos this week.
Deliveries comprised 68 A220s, 428 A320 Family jets, 13 A330s and 38 A350s. Airbus still expects A320 Family output of 70-75 a month by the end of 2027, A220 output of 13 a month and A350 output of 12 a month in 2028, and A330 output of five a month in 2029.
Revenue rose 7% to €50.6bn and adjusted EBIT to €4.5bn from €4.15bn. Net income rose to €3.59bn from €2.64bn, or €4.54 a share.
Airbus reiterated 2026 guidance of adjusted EBIT of around €7.5bn and free cash flow before customer financing of around €4.5bn, assuming no further disruption to trade, air traffic or supply chains.
Airbus is a European aerospace group making commercial aircraft, helicopters and defence and space systems. It is registered in the Netherlands and headquartered in Toulouse.
