Airbus, on Thursday, announced a record number of annual jet orders and confirmed an increase of 11% in deliveries for 2023, thereby retaining its position as the top manufacturer against its competitor, Boeing, for the fifth consecutive year. Amidst airlines rushing to update their fleets, Airbus revealed that it had received 2,319 gross orders and 2,094 net orders after accounting for cancellations. It also confirmed a report stating that it had delivered 735 airplanes, leaving its order backlog at 8,598.
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Airbus CEO, Guillaume Faury, acknowledged that the company had a slow start to the year due to supply chain constraints but stated that they had witnessed "increased flexibility and capability" in their industrial system. He expressed confidence that Airbus would achieve its target of assembling 75 A320neo family jets per month by 2026. Despite orders surpassing pre-pandemic levels due to high travel demand, Faury did not anticipate that Airbus would match its record 2019 delivery levels of approximately 870 planes this year. The company plans to announce its targets for 2024 in February.
Faury, during a news conference, mentioned that the supply chain situation is still challenging but is gradually improving. Christian Scherer, who assumed the role of CEO of the core commercial aircraft business in January, noted that the aviation industry had recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic faster than expected, particularly in the case of large widebodies. He emphasized the company's commitment to delivering a backlog of 8,600 aircraft on time and with quality.
Scherer also stated that Airbus is fully booked until the end of the decade for single-aisle jets and until 2028 for widebodies. He reaffirmed that the first delivery of the A321XLR, the company's latest and longest-range single-aisle jet, is expected in the second quarter. Meanwhile, Boeing, which is still dealing with the aftermath of the safety grounding of its 737 MAX, subsequent production issues, and a recent partial grounding of the 737 MAX 9, reported on Tuesday that it had delivered 528 aircraft in 2023. After accounting for cancellations, it received 1,314 net new orders.