Airbus January-October Deliveries Up 6% But 249 Required In 2 Months To Hit Annual Target

Credit: Iberia | Simple Flying Published Nov 6, 2026, 11:52 AM EST Louis is a military historian and the staff writer for History of War magazine, a leading military history monthly. He also has an interest in private and commercial aviation. Sign in to your Simple Flying account At 621 aircraft in the first ten months of this calendar year, Airbus' deliveries mark a 6.2% improvement when compared with the same period in 2025. Yet, Airbus has made a rod for its own back with a delivery target of 870 planes. So far, Airbus has been averaging 62.1 deliveries per month, when it needed to reach 72.5. As a result, the manufacturer needs to achieve 124.5 deliveries in October and November if it is to reach its target. Simple Flying has contacted Airbus for comment. The Problem Has Been Approaching For A While The delivery target also seemed optimistic from September. The figures then meant that Airbus needed to achieve 323 deliveries in the year's final quarter. The manufacturer had delivered 547 jets by September's end. Last year's final quarter deliveries, 286, shows the extent of this challenge. 136 of these jets were delivered in December. Furthermore, October this year saw 74 jets delivered, down from 78 in October 2025, suggesting a slight deceleration in the year's final quarter. Airbus historically delivers more jets towards the end of the year. The manufacturer will be banking on this to reach the delivery target. At the end of October this year, Aerospace Global News reported that Airbus' delivery targets would remain until the end of the year. Orders And Financial Data For Airbus So Far This Year At the end of September, Airbus had 9,310 outstanding orders. Even if Airbus achieved 870 orders per year, it would take over 10.5 years to clear. Of course, Airbus will also receive further orders across this decade. The table below uses data collected by Aerospace Global News to show the comparative state of Airbus order sheets in the first nine months of this year, compared with the same period in 2025. It shows why Airbus has needed such an optimistic delivery schedule: Statistics 2026 2025 Gross commercial aircraft orders 1,174 610 Net orders after cancellations 1,105 514 Commercial aircraft order backlog 9,310 N/A The orders and deliveries have driven revenue growth for Airbus. The 547 aircraft deliveries up to the end of September included 68 Airbus A220s, 428 A320 family aircraft, 13 A330s and 38 A350s. Revenue from such activities rose 8% to €36.7 billion ($41 billion), although the airline reported that a weakening dollar had offset this growth. Nevertheless, profitability has improved across Airbus. Consolidated adjusted earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT Adjusted) have increased 8% to €4.5 billion ($5 billion). This value for commercial aircraft alone rose from €3.27 billion ($3.65 billion) last year to €3.36 billion ($3.75 billion) this year. The Long-Term Production Targets That Will Help Clear Airbus' Backlog Airbus' backlog continues to grow. It recorded 202 gross orders in October with 71 cancellations, taking net orders for this year up to 1,305. Aircraft lessors Avolon and Aviation Capital Group each committed to 75 new narrowbody aircraft. Clearing this backlog will not be about executing a sprint over the course of a quarter or a year, but consistently ramping up production totals. Airbus shows it has this in mind with planned targets to be hit over the course of multiple years. It wants to bring A220 production up to 13 aircraft a month in 2028. The A320 family is also a critical target. Airbus wants to hit a production rate of between 70 and 75 jets a month by the end of 2027, reaching a consistent 75 a month from 2028. Airbus also has upcoming production targets for its flagship widebody aircraft. It wants to reach 12 new A350s a month in 2028. A smaller but significant production increase will be five A330s per month in 2029. Given that it appears Airbus is unlikely to achieve its production goals this year, we could see Airbus adjusting these optimistic targets.