Airbus posts lower deliveries, wins bumper order from private customer

Airbus deliveries fell in August after a sharp spike in the previous month, the European planemaker said on Friday, a decline which analysts said leaves it with the task of achieving solid year-on-year growth to meet an annual target.

The planemaker said it had delivered 47 aircraft, down from 77 in July, to reach 447 so far this year.

It aims to reach 770 deliveries for the whole year after revising the target down during the summer due to delays in receiving engines, cabin equipment and other parts. Industry sources have said the supply chain remains fragile,

"August is typically a weaker month for Airbus in terms of deliveries," Jefferies analyst Chloe Lemarie said in a note, adding that Airbus needed to raise deliveries by an average of 7% a month compared to last year's pace to reach its target.

Airbus booked 46 new orders including 30 previously announced A330neos for Cathay Pacific, and a rare order from a single "private customer" for three A350-900s and three A320neos worth well over $1 billion at catalogue prices that tend to be used for one-off purchases without commercial airline discounts.

Airbus declined to comment but typically uses the "private customer" designation to describe jets bought to be used by VIPs in luxury configurations or by governments. Demand for such aircraft remains strong in the Middle East, analysts say.

Many commercial airlines also initially withhold their identity when ordering jets in order to shield their marketing strategies from competitors, but those deals are classified as "Undisclosed" in the Airbus monthly order and delivery data.

Airbus said it had won 432 gross orders so far this year or a net total of 413 after cancellations.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)