Airbus said a lack of engines for its best-selling A320 family of aircraft was continuing to hamper deliveries of new planes to airline customers but stuck to its delivery and financial targets for the end of the year.
The world’s largest planemaker said it handed over 306 commercial aircraft in the first six months of the year — leaving it to deliver another 514 jets in the second half if it is to meet its target of “around 820 deliveries” by the end of 2025.
Airbus said persistent shortages of engines, mainly from CFM International, for its narrow-body A320neo jets mainly used for short and medium-haul flights, had forced it to build “gliders”, or aircraft without engines. It had 60 gliders at the end of June. The lower deliveries meant Airbus burnt through €1.6bn of cash in the first half, more than expected by analysts.