Leeham News and Analysis
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Leeham News and Analysis
- Bjorn’s Corner: New engine development. Part 5. Turbofan design problems April 26, 2024
- Airbus 1Q2024 results: Airbus CEO: “A350 in-service experience drives positive reputation and orders” April 25, 2024
- A350-1000 or 777-9? Part 3 April 25, 2024
- Boeing CEO promises company is turning around…again April 24, 2024
- Solid start for stand-alone GE Aerospace despite cuts to LEAP output April 23, 2024
Airbus posts record orders in 2023, meets delivery target despite challenges
By Tom Batchelor
January 11, 2024, © Leeham News: Airbus exceeded its target for aircraft deliveries last year and achieved a record number of orders despite what it called a “complex” and “volatile” operating environment, according to the company’s newly released 2023 order and delivery data.
The European planemaker delivered 735 commercial aircraft to 87 customers in 2023, versus 661 commercial aircraft to 84 customers the previous year – an increase of 11%, Figure 1.
Figure 1. A visualization of Airbus orders, deliveries, and backlog in 2023. Click to enlarge. Source: Airbus.
That was above the Airbus target of 720 commercial aircraft deliveries over the 12 months.
Of the 735 deliveries, 68 were from the A220 family, 571 were from the A320 family, 32 were from the A330 family and 64 were A350 family aircraft. Compared with the previous year, A330 and A350 family deliveries were broadly flat, while A220 and A320 family deliveries were significantly higher.
A321 deliveries accounted for 56% of A320 family deliveries. Airbus confirmed the latest variant in that family, the A321XLR, has reached the latter part of flight testing with the first delivery expected in Q2 2024.
The commercial aircraft business registered 2,319 gross new orders (2,094 net after cancellations), putting its 2023 year-end backlog at 8,598 aircraft. This was the first time Airbus has topped 2,000 net orders in a year.
The figure was a sharp increase versus 2022, when there were 1,078 gross commercial orders (820 net), and 7,239 aircraft in the backlog.
For comparison, Boeing data shows it delivered 528 aircraft in 2023 and received 1,456 gross new orders (1,314 net).
Production ramp up
Guillaume Faury, Airbus CEO, said 2023 had been a “landmark year”, citing “increased flexibility and capability of our global industrial system, as well as the strong demand from airlines to refresh their fleets”.
Airbus continues to target a ramp-up of production by 2026, with the A220 program expected to reach 14 aircraft per month, the A320 program targeting 75 aircraft per month, and the A350 aiming for 10 aircraft per month. Faury said these plans were still “on track”.
Christian Scherer, Airbus’ newly appointed CEO for commercial aircraft, said widebody orders returned in 2023, “much sooner than expected”. “We have never sold as many A320s or A350s in any given year,” he said.
During a virtual question and answer session hosted by Airbus in Toulouse, Scherer told LNA that issues affecting the Pratt & Whitney GTF engine, which powers nearly half of the global fleet of A320neos and all A220s, may have dented output.
“The delivery number in 2023 could have been higher had we not had the GTF bottleneck,” he said. “When it comes to 2024, I do not see any reason that the GTF issues which are facing a very different challenge today … would affect 2024. We have an agreement with P&W on the volumes that are needed and I don’t see any impact versus what we have agreed.”
Response to MAX issues
Faury was also asked about quality assurance issues affecting the Boeing 737-9 MAX after the Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 decompression. Spirit AeroSystems, the maker of the 737 fuselages and the plug door, is also an Airbus supplier (for the A220, A320 and A350 programs).
Faury said, “We know there is a difficult situation in the supply chain. We are really taking a lot of care and supporting the supply chain. We have been working very closely with Spirit [AeroSystems]. The incident … is a rather fresh one and we are monitoring everything closely. We will be taking each and every learning and we would expect Spirit to do exactly the same.”
The Airbus CEO was asked about the Japan Air Lines Airbus A350 ground collision in Tokyo at the beginning of January. Faury commented that while it was too early to speculate on the outcome of the investigation, data from the incident would provide an “important source of learning”.
Scherer also noted Airbus’ continued commitment to introduce a hydrogen-powered aircraft at some point in the 2030s, alongside a replacement for the A320neo family which has a similar timeframe.
January 4
Leeham: Boeing needs a boring year in 2024
January 5
A 737 MAX looses a door plug due to quality control issues
January 8
Former Spirit AeroSystems employees warn about many defects in the 737 MAX and falsify reports: https://www.levernews.com/boeing-supplier-ignored-warnings-of-excessive-amount-of-defects-former-employees-allege/
The year 2024 has just started…
I think it was clear a decade ago NEO’s would be market favourites with
– multi engine 80 inch LEAP/GTF choice
– container / pallet options
– noticeably wider, quieter cabins
– modern systems, FBW
– growth potential in range & capacity
– assembly lines on 3 continents
Boeing saw, knew, but were locked in denial, group-think, short term solutions & free cash flow consumption. Now the chickens come home to roost.
I hope the balance will be restored next decade.
For airlins bottom line the cost per seatmile is the key, hence the main drivers are wings, engines and range flexibility. Some disruptive technologies like single pilot for an A321 will be huge, as will hydrogen if JET-A1 sales are stopped at many airlports in the future. Having AAM deliver biz class pax directly to the roof above the businsess class lounge will have a huge revenue impact for the airlines that can offer it. The ultra long range direct flights like SYD-LHR has a huge impact on engine cost as you half the number of cycles and save a few hours per day besides a hot and sandy T-O in the middle east.
Great article, and Chapeaux to Airbus for this remarkable 2023 O/D results. Wish them the Best for 2024, and hope to soon fly on one of their A321XLR’s.
735 is only 65 deliveries short of their all time best of 800 in 2018.
Not too shabby for a recovering environment with supply chain issues.
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Whoops. in 2019 they delivered 863. Sorry. I was reading the 2018 financials which called it a record year. Set another record the following year.
Duh…
Undelivered aircraft now stand at 8,598. That’s an insane amount. From the figures above they’re aiming to deliver 1,200+ a year by 2026. That’s some target.
(Before anyone says it, I know that 8,598 will include some dubious orders but in December Airbus deleted the Iran Air orders that were still on the books and a few older style aircraft originally destined for CASC in China).
What did you think you wanted to contribute to the discussion with this comment?
not 1200, at Airbus a year has only 11 months. I counted close to 1000, depending on the number of A330 deliveries.
Don’t forget the A220.
lets count:
Airbus continues to target a ramp-up of production by 2026, with the A220 program expected to reach 14 aircraft per month, the A320 program targeting 75 aircraft per month, and the A350 aiming for 10 aircraft per month. Faury said these plans were still “on track”.
220: 11×14=151
320: 11×75=825
350: 11×10=110
plus some 330s
1086 plus 330s but that would be for 2027 as first full year. In 2026, they would only reach those monthly numbers in December and deliver less before.
Airbus can go for even higher than 75 a month, if their suppliers accommodate.
Airbus 11month year
a popular fairy tale.
A320fam
571/a is 47.6 per month using a 12monthYear.
official current rate is 45
increasing towards next year.
To the financials we go:
‘A record 863 commercial aircraft were delivered
(2018: 800 aircraft), comprising 48 A220s, 642 A320 Family, 53 A330s, 112 A350s and 8 A380s.’
https://www.airbus.com/sites/g/files/jlcbta136/files/2021-06/Airbus-FY2019-press-release_0.pdf
So in 2019, they got up to 53.5 a month (A320Neo family) , for a 12 month period and 11 a month for the A350.
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This year they fell just short of 6 a month for the A220 line, but it is a highwater mark.
Production Benchmarks (12 month period)
A350 – 11
A320 Neo family – 53.5
A220 family – 6
(These’ll be the three main drivers of deliveries in the next 5 years. )
Target of 800 in 2024?
It often is an advance juggling with deliveries as airlines want to get aircrafts quicker or later or cannot pay so the manufacturer has to convert aircrafts half finished to the other airlines spec.
I guess Christian Scherer, Airbus’ newly appointed CEO for commercial aircraft, is referring to brut orders when he says “We have never sold as many A320s or A350s in any given year”, as net they sold 281 A350s in 2023 but 292 in 2007.
Interesting for me to see how the biggest models of each family gain traction:
A350-1000 has received almost as many orders as the A350-900 and the A321 received 3/4 of the net orders of the 320 family.
Also at Boeing, the 787-10 sold well this year.
Gross order:
2,319 gross orders including 1,835 A320 Family and 300 A350 Family aircraft.
-> A significant widebody jet order win for Airbus
https://twitter.com/dominicgates/status/1745858384841376056
-> A320neo family surpasses expectations as orders reach five-digit mark, reports @FlightGlobal
https://twitter.com/MaxK_J/status/1745828904533643583
A320neo family 10,354
A220 family 914
Boeing 737 MAX 6,203
17,471 aircraft ordered in the race to ~30,000 (the highly touted estimated planes needed over 20 years – NB aircraft)
Throw in the other guys (EMB, COMAC etc) and you’re around 18,000.
Boeing is at one third, maybe 35% of the market.
Production rate ambitions of Airbus seem very high, until you see the backlog & conclude they need to go to 1000/yr to keep lead times reasonable.
Are they not building a second A320/A321 line in Mobile, Alabama?
Construction has started last fall.
Current planning is Ready to go in 2025Q2
Only downside I see is losing the long dormant Iran Air order.
No big deal on the the narrow body front, but will definitely put a hamper on 330 neo sales..
With the cancelation of 28 330 9’s,will put total sales for the program under 300 again .
I guess Airbus will be aiming at low rate (~3 / month) A330 production. MRTT’s, A330NEO F, A330-900s.
https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/multi-mission-aircraft/airbus-develop-second-generation-mrtt-based-a330neo
Arno. I really found Russells post informing and interesting.
There were many numbers here that I am happy to learn about.
I didn’t know that Airbus cleaned up the CASC orders, nor the planned output for 2026. Now I do.
Now I have a questions for you:
“What did you think you wanted to contribute to the discussion with this comment?”