Airbus set to exceed annual delivery goal with December surge

Airbus SE managed to beat its annual delivery target in 2023 as the planemaker ramped up output in December, according to a website that tracks aircraft handovers.

The world’s largest maker of commercial aircraft likely handed over 733 planes to customers last year, according to preliminary data from Aviation Flights Group. Of those, 579 were for its bestselling A320neo family of single-aisle jets, the data show. Widebody A350 aircraft accounted for 57 units, according to Aviation Flights Group.

A person familiar with Airbus’s numbers also said the company exceeded its goal, delivering more than 730 aircraft to customers. Airbus, which had a target of 720 deliveries for the year, declined to comment.

The figures, if confirmed, would vindicate Airbus Chief Executive Officer Guillaume Faury, who maintained the target throughout the year despite a slow pace of deliveries in the first few months. Toulouse, France-based Airbus was forced to lower its goal twice in 2022 as the fallout from the pandemic led to shortages in supplies. 

Output at Airbus typically surges in December, as the European planemaker runs factories at full bore to meet annual targets. Airbus and rival Boeing Co. are trying to strike a balance between customers buying planes in record numbers and suppliers still struggling to keep up with the faster pace of production. 

Airbus started December 97 planes short of its annual target, meaning the company managed to achieve near-record output in the final month of the year. The manufacturer shipped 138 planes in December 2019.

The company is slated to reveal its official delivery tally later this month.