Airbus Faces Engine, Lavatory Delays in 2025 Output
Airbus is facing production challenges that have slowed its aircraft deliveries in the first half of 2025, with engine shortages and cabin equipment delays identified as key obstacles. Speaking to reporters in Toulouse on June 11, 2025, ahead of the Paris Air Show, Christian Scherer, CEO of Commercial Aircraft at Airbus, revealed that roughly 40 completed aircraft are sitting idle without engines, contributing to the delivery slowdown.
Scherer explained that the missing engines come from CFM International, which supplies the Leap engines for Airbus’ A320neo family. “We are missing engines from CFM International. We have nearly 40 gliders, as we call them, parked at our sites,” Scherer said, according to L’Usine Nouvelle. He noted that some engineless aircraft are visible at the Toulouse assembly lines, while others are parked in Hamburg, Germany. Without these shortages, Airbus’ deliveries would likely be slightly ahead of current projections.
Airbus previously set a target to deliver around 820 commercial aircraft in 2025. However, with five months of the year completed, deliveries have reached only 243 aircraft, raising concerns about whether the goal is achievable. Despite the shortfall, Scherer remains optimistic, emphasizing that the guidance has not changed. He cautioned against drawing conclusions from monthly fluctuations and stated that Airbus expects a gradual increase in engine deliveries from CFM International in the coming months. “We believe that between now and the end of the year we will get the engines,” Scherer told Reuters. “It is a gradual increase – a little behind the curve at the moment, but we are cautiously hopeful that it can be done.”
The Leap engine delays are partly due to disruptions in the supply of turbine blades from one of CFM’s subcontractors, combined with recent labor strikes at Safran, which co-owns CFM International alongside GE Aerospace. These issues have slowed the production of engines critical to the A320neo series, which represents the bulk of Airbus’ commercial aircraft orders.
In addition to engine shortages, Scherer pointed to unexpected bottlenecks in cabin equipment as another cause of delivery delays, particularly for Airbus’ widebody models. The A330 and A350 programs have encountered setbacks due to supply chain disruptions involving cabin components, with lavatories emerging as a surprising source of difficulty. “It’s a bit embarrassing to admit, but right now the biggest bottleneck we’re facing on wide-body aircraft, especially the A350, is the lavatories,” Scherer explained to Le Figaro.
Despite these challenges, Airbus continues to push forward with deliveries. So far in 2025, Airbus delivered 25 aircraft to 17 customers in January, 40 to 25 customers in February, 71 to 37 customers in March, 56 to 33 customers in April, and 51 to 32 customers in May. By comparison, Airbus delivered 53 aircraft to 43 customers in May 2024 and 63 aircraft to 36 customers in May 2023.
As the year progresses, Airbus remains hopeful that supply chain improvements will help it close the delivery gap and meet its full-year target. The company’s performance at the Paris Air Show may also bring new clarity on production and order activity as it navigates these ongoing operational hurdles.
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