Airbus reportedly delivered 74 aircraft in October, leaving 249 needed for 870 target

The October tally, reported by Yahoo Finance and not officially confirmed by Airbus, included 39 A321neos, 15 A320neos, nine A220-300s, one A319neo, four A330-900s and six A350s.

Airbus booked 202 gross commercial orders in October, including 75 each from Avolon and Aviation Capital Group and 35 from CIT Leasing. Gross orders for the year reached 1,376, or 1,305 net after 71 cancellations.

How the 249 figure works

After nine months, Airbus needed 323 deliveries in the fourth quarter to reach about 870. October's 74 was below the roughly 108 a month needed across the quarter, leaving 249 for November and December, or about 125 a month. The first nine months averaged about 61 a month; the third quarter delivered 196.

Aviation Week puts the target at 850 to 870; 249 applies to the top. Last year's fourth quarter delivered 286, split 78, 72 and 136. Matching the November-December portion would leave Airbus 41 short.

Supply-chain constraints remain

The Air Current reported on Sept. 24 that inadequate corrosion protection on A321neo fuselage stringers could affect more than 500 aircraft. Airbus confirmed the problem originated with an external supplier and said it is not a safety issue for aircraft in service. About 20 jets slipped into the fourth quarter, industry sources told Reuters.

Engines are the other constraint. Pratt & Whitney's PW1100G powers 46% of roughly 4,400 A320neo family aircraft delivered since 2016, a delivered-fleet share, The Air Current reported. The Air Current also reported in early 2026 that the two had not reached a supply agreement for the year, three months into it.

Chief Executive Guillaume Faury said Pratt & Whitney is expected to supply enough engines to meet the plan, despite a dispute over slow supply. An Airbus spokesperson told Reuters the July 29 guidance remained its public position.

Nine-month results and targets

Airbus reported nine-month revenue of €50.6 billion, up 7% year on year, on Oct. 28. Adjusted EBIT rose 8% to €4.495 billion. Deliveries reached 547, against 507 a year earlier, and backlog stood at 9,310 at the end of September.

Free cash flow before customer financing was negative €1.268 billion in the first nine months, against negative €914 million a year earlier. Airbus kept its 2026 targets unchanged: about 870 deliveries, adjusted EBIT of around €7.5 billion and free cash flow before customer financing of around €4.5 billion.

What happens next

Airbus targets 70 to 75 A320 Family aircraft a month by the end of 2027, with 75 a month thereafter. Production at 75 a month is already sold out through 2032, according to Leeham News and Analysis.