Airbus delivers 65 planes in a month in bid to meet annual goal

Airbus delivered 65 aircraft to 36 customers last month as the planemaker ramps up output in order to meet its full-year target.

The planemaker shipped 381 aircraft through the end of July, according to an emailed statement Friday. That represents about 53 per cent of its annual goal of 720.

Airbus is working to avoid a repeat of last year’s performance, when it twice slashed its annual delivery target.

Suppliers contending with the residual impact of the pandemic, including staff shortages, were unable to deliver components ranging from seats to semiconductors to raw materials.

Last month, the planemaker removed an intermediate target to hit a monthly pace of building 65 of its best-selling A320 jets by the end of next year, saying that it was shifting focus to a longer-term goal of 75 a month by 2026 as persistent volatility with supplies and a shortage of workers complicate near-term planning.

The planemaker also said it received gross orders for 60 aircraft last month.

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