Airbus Secures 70 New A320 and A350 Orders Ahead of Paris Airshow

Airbus has announced that it has signed orders for 70 new jets this month, including 60 A320-family narrowbody aircraft and 10 A350 widebody aircraft.

The orders come from undisclosed customers, including a lessor and a major international airline. Airbus said that the deals will be booked at the end of June and that more orders are expected to be announced at next week’s Paris Airshow.

Airbus’ Chief Commercial Officer Christian Scherer told reporters on Friday that the orders reflect the strong recovery in demand for air travel and new aircraft. He said that Airbus is ready to showcase its products and services at the Paris Airshow, which is resuming after a four-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Business is back with a vengeance and the show will be proof of that,” Scherer said. He added that Airbus is confident in its competitive position against its main rival Boeing, which is still recovering from the grounding of its 737 MAX jets and the impact of the pandemic on its production and deliveries.

Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury also spoke to reporters on Friday and said that Airbus has stabilized its supply chains after facing some disruptions due to the pandemic. He said that Airbus is now focused on ramping up its production and delivery rates to meet customer demand. He also said that Airbus is facing some labour shortages in some areas and is working to attract and retain talent.

Airbus delivered 661 aircraft in 2022, up from 566 in 2021. It also logged 1,078 net orders in 2022, up from 268 in 2021. Airbus expects to deliver between 600 and 610 aircraft in 2023. It also forecasts that airlines will need 40,850 new jets over the next 20 years, driven by the growth of low-cost carriers and emerging markets.