Paris: European aerospace giant Airbus has signaled optimism over stabilizing supply chains while moving steadily toward finalizing its strategic acquisition of Spirit AeroSystems, with completion targeted by the fourth quarter of 2025. The developments suggest a renewed operational momentum for the planemaker as it seeks to meet ambitious delivery targets despite past production bottlenecks.
Airbus executives report that suppliers, after years of disruption, are gradually adapting to the company’s production schedules. Challenges ranging from material shortages to logistical hurdles have begun to ease, allowing Airbus to plan deliveries with greater confidence. Florent Massou dit Labaquère, Airbus Executive Vice President for Operations, remarked that suppliers now better “understand where we are,” noting that this alignment is crucial to boosting jet output.
The company aims to increase aircraft deliveries by approximately seven percent this year, targeting around 820 jets in 2025. This reflects growing stability in component availability and assembly capacity. Airbus plans to achieve a long-term objective of producing 75 narrow-body jets per month by 2027, a target delayed from initial projections due to earlier supply constraints.
To support its ambitious targets, Airbus is expanding its manufacturing capabilities globally. A second assembly line for the A320neo family in Mobile, Alabama, is scheduled to begin operations soon, while additional expansion efforts are planned in China. The growth strategy focuses on balancing production between the popular A321neo, which requires more assembly time, and other variants to meet customer demand efficiently.
A major component of Airbus’s strategic plan is the acquisition of key Spirit AeroSystems assets. The move is designed to strengthen Airbus’s control over fuselage and aerostructure production, ensuring smoother supply integration. Executives expect the transaction to be finalized by the end of 2025.
The Spirit deal underscores Airbus’s broader strategy of reducing dependency on external suppliers for critical components. By integrating Spirit’s operations, Airbus seeks to secure more predictable timelines and mitigate risks of delays, echoing industry-wide efforts to stabilize aerospace supply chains.
While the supply chain improvements are encouraging, Airbus and industry analysts remain cautious. Current production rates hover around 63 aircraft per month, sometimes relying on existing inventories to meet delivery commitments. Suppliers warn that year-end pressures, including potential material cost increases, labor disruptions, and shifts in order patterns, could challenge Airbus’s progress.
Nevertheless, the company’s focus on enhancing operational control and fostering stronger supplier partnerships indicates a strategic shift toward resilience. Observers note that the successful integration of Spirit AeroSystems could serve as a blueprint for future supply chain stability in the aerospace sector.