PARIS, May 28 – Aircraft manufacturer Airbus has informed its airline clients that they should expect delivery delays to persist through at least 2027 and 2028, citing continued turbulence in the global aerospace supply chain, according to industry insiders. These warnings, reiterated during a recent customer event in Toulouse, underscore the mounting pressure on the company to meet its long-term goal of producing 75 jets per month, a target still hampered by lingering post-pandemic disruptions.

Though Airbus has seen some gradual recovery in the supply of parts and labor, critical hurdles remain—especially in sourcing engines and key structural components. A senior airline official noted that the delays are being revealed incrementally, with delivery timelines being quietly pushed back every few months. Another source mentioned that some aircraft originally scheduled for later this decade are already delayed by six months on paper, with no concrete signs of relief in sight.

Airbus confirmed it's collaborating closely with suppliers to manage the impact on customers. However, concerns continue to grow. Air Lease Corp, a major aircraft leasing firm, recently disclosed receiving official delay notifications for deliveries of A320neo and A321neo models set for 2027 and 2028—reinforcing fears about a persistent shortage of new aircraft.Experts say it's highly unusual for manufacturers to notify airlines of delays as far out as three years in advance, which reflects both Airbus’s ambitious production targets and mounting pressure from clients to be more transparent. One senior industry source described the growing mismatch between planned output and actual capabilities as a widening chasm.

Several major leasing firms have also sounded the alarm, forecasting continued instability in aerospace supply chains through the end of the decade. Despite this, Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury reiterated in January his confidence that the firm would still reach its 2027 goal. Production has reportedly climbed to about 60 aircraft per month, but short-term deliveries remain under strain.

So far this May, Airbus has delivered 32 aircraft and could surpass 40 by month-end, though this would still fall short of the 53 deliveries achieved in May 2024, according to Rob Morris of Cirium Ascend. Deliveries for the first four months of this year are already down by 5% compared to the same period last year.

Despite the setbacks, Airbus has reaffirmed its annual goal of 820 commercial aircraft deliveries, representing a 7% increase from the previous year. However, the outlook remains clouded by intensifying issues with engine availability. Sources say engine manufacturer CFM International—a joint venture between GE Aerospace and Safran—has yet to finalize a production schedule to support Airbus’s ambitious ramp-up. While Safran has indicated some recovery in its supply chain, the engine bottleneck remains a critical obstacle for Airbus to overcome in the near term.