Airbus is Europe's largest aerospace company, spanning commercial aircraft, helicopters, defence and space. In civil aviation it remains Boeing's only true peer at global scale and is pairing near-term production growth with longer-term work on lower-carbon aircraft technologies, future single-aisle designs and hydrogen propulsion. The company combines a mature global airliner business with broader aerospace capabilities across defence, space and rotorcraft. Q1 2026 was unusually weak - 114 deliveries (vs. 136 a year earlier), revenue down 7% to EUR 12.65B and adjusted EBIT halved to EUR 300M due to Pratt & Whitney engine shortages and Chinese delivery disruptions - but Airbus reaffirmed full-year 2026 guidance of ~870 deliveries, EUR 7.5B adjusted EBIT and EUR 4.5B free cash flow, with a record commercial backlog above 9,000 aircraft. Output recovered strongly through mid-year: official figures reported July 10 showed 351 deliveries in H1 2026 (up ~15% YoY), Airbus's best first half since 2019, and the backlog stood at 9,216 aircraft at end-June. At a measured Farnborough Airshow (July 20-24, 2026) Airbus booked roughly 157 firm commercial orders plus commitments (of a show-wide $84.7B / 353 firm aircraft), headlined by SMBC Aviation Capital's 100 A320neo-family jets, VietJet's 20 A330neos (~$7.4B), and new A350-1000 orders from Riyadh Air and Philippine Airlines, with CEO Guillaume Faury reaffirming the ~870-delivery full-year target. On July 26 Airbus announced a EUR 5B share buyback and raised medium-term targets, and on July 29 it reported H1 2026 results: revenue up 12% YoY to EUR 33.2B on 351 deliveries, powered by a record Q2 (237 deliveries, +39% YoY). Airbus's official July tally, published August 7, showed the delivery pace cooling further to 67 aircraft (39 customers) and 204 gross orders, taking YTD deliveries to 418 versus 373 at the same point in 2025 - still 51 aircraft ahead of Boeing (367 YTD) but below the roughly 85-90/month cadence needed to reach the 870-aircraft target. August's official tally showed a further cooldown to 47 aircraft delivered to 31 customers and 46 gross orders (including airBaltic firming 10 more A220-300s), taking YTD deliveries to 465 - now requiring an average of roughly 100 aircraft a month over the final four months of the year to hit the 870-aircraft guidance. Part of the August softness traces to a production quality issue on the A330neo: Airbus found a stray tool and other quality lapses on the horizontal tail plane (assembled at its Getafe plant) that nearly halted A330neo deliveries for three months - zero handed over in June and July, just one in August, to Starlux Airlines - before Airbus said in early September the root cause was identified, the issue was isolated and unrelated to the Spain labor dispute, and deliveries had resumed. Two other supply and schedule risks continue to shadow the ramp: Airbus's dispute with Pratt & Whitney over shorted A320neo engine deliveries has hardened into a formal damages claim that could go to arbitration, and the A350F freighter has now penciled in a tentative first-flight date around September 24, 2026 (reports August 19-20), with first delivery still targeted for the second half of 2027 - a tight but so-far-unrevised schedule given typical 12-15 month flight-test campaigns. Airbus also confirmed two divisional leadership changes already in effect this year (Lars Wagner as Commercial Aircraft CEO since January, Matthieu Louvot as Airbus Helicopters CEO since April) and a board chair transition, with Amparo Moraleda succeeding Rene Obermann on October 1, 2026. Thousands of Airbus workers in Spain resumed an indefinite strike the week of August 24 after rejecting a pay offer; on August 31 workers voted 81% to keep striking rather than suspend it, and on September 1 SIMA-mediated talks with the three unions leading the walkout (CGT, UGT, UTIL) broke down without agreement, so Airbus shifted to a parallel negotiating track with non-striking unions (CCOO, SIPA, ATP) while the indefinite strike, and its drag on production, continued into early September with no resolution yet. On the defense side, Airbus also picked up two notable wins in mid-to-late August: a $115 million U.S. Army contract (option for two more) for 10 UH-72B Lakota helicopters announced August 14, and a EUR 5.4 billion (~$6.3B) Spain-Poland framework agreement approved by Spain's Council of Ministers on August 25 for the joint procurement of seven A330 MRTT tankers (three for Spain, four for Poland) under the EU's SAFE instrument, to be assembled at Airbus's Getafe site with Polish deliveries targeted by 2030 and definitive contracts still to be negotiated. Airbus's stock has held up despite the noise, with a market cap of roughly $190B in mid-August 2026. Separately, on August 29, 2026 the Financial Times reported that Airbus is reviewing its US small-satellite manufacturing business at Merritt Island, Florida (more than 200 staff and several hundred million dollars in annual revenue), with a sale among the options; Airbus confirmed the review and said it is separate from its planned European space combination with Leonardo and Thales.
Airbus said deliveries of its A330neo widebody have resumed after a quality lapse in the tail section, a tool left inside a horizontal tail plane during production, brought handovers to a near standstill for three months, Bloomberg reported September 3, 2026. The manufacturer delivered zero A330neos in June and July and just one in August, versus a typical pace of about four a month, before calling the root cause identified and the issue isolated. Airbus still aims to ramp output to five A330neos a month by 2029 as it works toward roughly 870 total aircraft deliveries in 2026.
The Financial Times reported on August 29 that Airbus is reviewing its US small-satellite manufacturing operation at Merritt Island, Florida, with a sale among the options under consideration. The site employs more than 200 people, generates several hundred million dollars in annual revenue, and produced more than 600 first-generation OneWeb satellites before Airbus moved next-generation OneWeb production to Toulouse. Airbus confirmed the review and said it is separate from its planned European space combination with Leonardo and Thales; no decision or buyer has been disclosed.
Thousands of Airbus workers in Spain resumed strike action this week after rejecting the company's latest pay offer, unions said August 26, describing Tuesday's stoppage as the start of an indefinite strike after 22 days of industrial action in July. Unions said about 90% of eligible workers took part; French unions briefed on the dispute said the three striking Spanish unions represent about 40% of Airbus Spain's roughly 14,000 employees, a participation figure Reuters could not independently confirm. Airbus is targeting 870 commercial deliveries in 2026 and has frozen planned hiring in Spain for the duration of the strike; unions said production has already slowed, while Airbus said last week that disruption to administrative and support functions had not yet affected production.
Airbus began construction around August 20 on a 6,221 square meter extension to its Belfast wing facility, the sole global source of A220 wings, adding a third autoclave and new tooling to support ramping A220 output toward 13 aircraft a month by 2028. The project also adds new security infrastructure, electrical substations, an office block, expanded parking and 40 new apprenticeships, with completion targeted for the first half of 2028.
Airbus dropped CEO Guillaume Faury's push to require white-collar staff on-site four days a week by September, instead keeping its current policy of up to two remote days a week, people familiar with the matter said around August 21. The retreat follows weeks of rolling strikes by Spanish employees, where unions say about 40% of Airbus's roughly 14,000 Spain-based staff have walked out at some point over remote work, transport, leave and pay, though aircraft production has not been affected.
The A320neo (new engine option) family is Airbus's best-selling narrow-body airliner family, featuring new-generation engines and Sharklet wingtip devices for 15-20% fuel savings. Includes the A319neo, A320neo, and A321neo variants.
In active production and high demand. In May 2026 the wider A320 family surpassed 20,000 lifetime orders (20,169), and the A321neo is the single most-ordered variant (7,739 orders). Airbus is ramping A320 Family output toward 70-75 aircraft per month by the end of 2027, with full rate-75 stabilization now pushed to shortly after the start of 2028 - a timeline still constrained by Pratt & Whitney PW1100G-JM engine shortages, which CEO Guillaume Faury said should reach a 'much more normalized' state by 2028. Airbus's dispute with Pratt & Whitney has since escalated into a formal damages claim that Reuters reports could go to arbitration.
The A220 is a 100-160 seat single-aisle airliner inherited from Bombardier's C Series (acquired in 2018), serving the smaller end of Airbus's narrow-body lineup below the A320neo Family. It comes in two variants, the A220-100 and the larger A220-300.
In active production, ramping toward a rate target of 13 aircraft per month by 2028, backed by an August 2026 expansion of the Belfast wing facility (the sole global source of A220 wings) adding a third autoclave and new tooling. Firm orders passed 1,000 in May 2026 after AirAsia X's landmark 150-aircraft order (the largest single-customer A220 deal ever) and stood above 1,100 as of end-June 2026, with BermudAir joining as a new customer for 10 A220-300s at the July 2026 Farnborough Airshow.
Passenger Capacity108-160 (variant dependent)
Range3,450-3,600 nmi (6,390-6,670 km)
Engines2 x Pratt & Whitney PW1500G
First FlightSeptember 16, 2013 (as the Bombardier CSeries)
The A350 XWB (eXtra Wide Body) is Airbus's latest-generation wide-body aircraft, featuring a carbon-fibre reinforced polymer fuselage and wings for superior fuel efficiency and passenger comfort.
In active production with two passenger variants in service (A350-900 and A350-1000) plus an ultra-long-range A350-900ULR flown by Singapore Airlines. The A350F freighter - with a backlog now at 107 firm orders after Atlas Air's March 2026 order - is tentatively targeting first flight in late September 2026 (around September 24, per reports August 19-20), with first customer delivery still expected in the second half of 2027.
Passenger Capacity300–410 (variant dependent)
Range8,100–9,700 nmi (15,000–18,000 km)
Composite Airframe53% composite materials by weight
Engines2 × Rolls-Royce Trent XWB
First FlightJune 14, 2013
Orders1,601+ (incl. A350F, whose backlog alone stands at 107 firm orders after Atlas Air's 20-aircraft order)
The A330neo (new engine option) is an updated version of the proven A330 wide-body family, featuring Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines and new Sharklet wingtips for improved fuel efficiency and range.
In active production with two variants: A330-800neo and A330-900neo. Competes with the Boeing 787 in the mid-range wide-body market. A production quality issue on the horizontal tail plane (assembled at Getafe, Spain) nearly halted deliveries for three months in mid-2026 - zero handed over in June and July, just one in August - before Airbus said in early September the root cause was identified, the issue was isolated and unrelated to the concurrent Spain labor strike, and deliveries had resumed with no action needed on in-service aircraft.
Airbus's four-seat all-electric eVTOL demonstrator for advanced air mobility, built around a lift-and-cruise configuration with fixed wings, a V-tail and distributed electric propulsion.
Airbus rolled out the prototype in 2024 and continued demonstrator flight testing through 2025, but said in January 2025 that it would postpone launching a full urban air mobility programme until battery and energy-storage technologies mature further. As of mid-2026 that pause remains in place - no relaunch or cancellation has been announced, and the effort continues as a technology demonstrator rather than a commercial programme.
Passengers4
Range80 km
Cruise Speed120 km/h
Propulsion8 electric propellers
What's Next
Deliver ~870 aircraft and hit 2026 guidance
After a soft Q1 (114 deliveries), Airbus delivered 351 aircraft in H1 2026 (237 of them in a record Q2, +39% YoY) - its best first half since 2019 - and reaffirmed the 870-aircraft target, EUR 7.5B adjusted EBIT and EUR 4.5B free cash flow guidance when it reported H1 results on July 29 (H1 revenue EUR 33.2B, +12% YoY); management is internally aiming beyond 900. The pace then cooled through late summer: July's official tally showed 67 deliveries and 204 gross orders (YTD 418), and August's tally showed a further slowdown to 47 deliveries (31 customers) and 46 gross orders, taking YTD deliveries to 465 - still ahead of Boeing's pace but now requiring roughly 100 aircraft a month over the final four months of the year, well above anything Airbus has sustained in 2026 to date. Part of the August shortfall traces to a production quality issue on the A330neo's horizontal tail plane that all but halted A330neo deliveries for three months (zero in June and July, one in August) before Airbus said in early September the root cause was identified and deliveries had resumed. The labor risk that landed in late August also remains unresolved: after Airbus's Spanish workers voted 81% on August 31 to keep their indefinite strike going, SIMA-mediated talks with the leading unions (CGT, UGT, UTIL) broke down on September 1 without agreement, and Airbus opened a parallel negotiating track with non-striking unions while the strike, and its drag on production, continued into September. CEO Guillaume Faury has said Airbus no longer has aircraft sitting finished but short an engine, and that agreed Pratt & Whitney engine volumes for 2026-2027 now support the guidance - but between the A330neo quality issue and the Spain strike, the back-half acceleration needed to hit 870 deliveries looks materially harder than it did in July.
End of 2026
A320 Family production ramp toward 75/month
Airbus still plans to raise A320 Family output materially from roughly 60 aircraft per month today, but the rate-75 milestone has slipped: management now expects to reach about 70-75 per month by the end of 2027, with the full rate-75 stabilization now pushed to shortly after the start of 2028 rather than firmly within 2027. CEO Guillaume Faury reaffirmed at the July 29 H1 results briefing that this ramp-up schedule is unchanged from the pace set out in February, and said Pratt & Whitney's PW1100G-JM engine deliveries - which power roughly 40% of A320neo family jets - should reach a 'much more normalized situation' by 2028. The Pratt & Whitney dispute has hardened past mere 'weighing' a claim: Faury said in February 2026 that Pratt was 'not respecting their contractual obligations' by diverting engines and parts to its maintenance/overhaul business for in-service fleets instead of new-aircraft deliveries, and Reuters reported in March 2026 that Airbus is formally pursuing damages from Pratt & Whitney, a dispute that could escalate into arbitration. The build-out is spread across ten final assembly lines worldwide, including Mobile and Tianjin.
70-75/month by end of 2027; rate 75 stabilization shortly after start of 2028
First flight and entry into service for the A350F
Airbus rolled the first A350F flight-test aircraft out of the paint shop at Toulouse on August 19, 2026 in a parcel-liveried scheme, with Reuters reporting the company is targeting late September for first flight, centered on a preferred date around September 24, and able to slip into early October on technical issues or weather. Airbus's own public guidance remains the broader 'later in 2026' window. The first flight-test aircraft completed a three-day Ground Vibration Test campaign in Toulouse, reported August 3, 2026, a required structural-validation step ahead of first flight. Airbus still expects first customer delivery in the second half of 2027, though commercial-aircraft flight-test campaigns typically run 12-15 months, putting that target at the far end of the range if certification is to be completed before the planned delivery window. The order backlog has grown to 107 firm A350F aircraft (up from 101 in April plus a 4-aircraft Air China Cargo add in June), still led by Atlas Air's 20-aircraft order from March 2026, the type's largest single commitment.
First flight tentatively September 24, 2026 (could slip into early October); first delivery still targeted H2 2027
Run integrated ZEROe ground testing
Airbus has confirmed the feasibility of its 100-seat hydrogen fuel-cell ZEROe concept at TRL 3 and still plans integrated ground tests at the Electric Aircraft System Test House in Munich in 2027, combining hydrogen storage, distribution, and the fuel-cell propulsion stack into one validation setup. On July 7, 2026 Airbus and MTU Aero Engines announced plans to form a joint venture dedicated to developing and commercializing a fully electric hydrogen fuel-cell engine - Airbus taking on liquid-hydrogen storage and aircraft integration, MTU leading the engine, fuel-cell stack, and certification - with the venture targeted to start operating in 2027, pending regulatory approvals and European labor consultations.
Integrated ground testing in 2027; Airbus-MTU fuel-cell engine JV to start operating in 2027
Board chair transition to Amparo Moraleda
Rene Obermann will step down as Chair of the Airbus Board of Directors effective October 1, 2026, after informing the Board he will not seek a new mandate at the 2027 AGM. The Board has designated Amparo Moraleda, a board member at A.P. Moller-Maersk, CaixaBank and Vodafone and former COO of Iberdrola's international division, to succeed him as Chair from that date.
October 1, 2026
Define the next-generation single-aisle platform
Airbus is maturing the engine, wing, battery, materials and systems choices for a next-generation single-aisle aircraft (internally referred to as 'eAction') targeting 20-30% better fuel efficiency and 100% SAF capability, with service entry in the second half of the 2030s. CEO Guillaume Faury has reaffirmed the company remains 'very committed' to a formal launch decision in 2030, with engine-selection decisions expected around 2027. At the July 21, 2026 Farnborough Airshow, Airbus launched a new multi-year flight-test campaign, part of its Wing of Tomorrow research program, to evaluate high-span wing extensions (broadening the current 34m span by roughly 4-5m per side) on an A321neo testbed, with flight testing set to begin in the second half of 2027; in parallel, the shape-changing eXtra Performance WING demonstrator is nearing assembly completion in Cazaux, France, targeting a remotely piloted maiden flight by the end of 2026.
Launch decision targeted 2030; service entry second half of the 2030s
Spain's Council of Ministers approved a EUR 5.4 billion (~$6.3B) seven-year framework agreement on August 25, 2026 for the joint procurement of seven A330 MRTT tankers with Poland (three for Spain, four for Poland), financed in part via the EU's SAFE loan instrument and assembled at Airbus's Getafe site. The framework sets the stage for definitive contract negotiations between the two governments and Airbus; Poland's four tankers are targeted for delivery by 2030.
Contract negotiations following August 2026 framework approval; Polish deliveries targeted by 2030
Operations & Revenue
StatusOperating
Operating at scale across commercial aircraft, helicopters, defence and space. Q1 2026 was a notable setback: 114 commercial deliveries (down from 136), revenue of EUR 12.65B (-7%), and adjusted EBIT halved to EUR 300M, hit by Pratt & Whitney engine shortages on the A320neo line and disrupted deliveries to Chinese customers. The pace recovered through mid-year: a record Q2 (237 deliveries, +39% YoY; revenue EUR 20.53B, +28%; adjusted EBIT EUR 2.43B, +54%) lifted H1 2026 results reported July 29 to consolidated revenue up 12% year over year to EUR 33.2B on 351 deliveries (44 A220, 271 A320 family, 10 A330, 26 A350), up from 306 a year earlier and the strongest first half since 2019. Days earlier, on July 26, Airbus announced a EUR 5B share buyback and raised its medium-term financial targets. The pace then cooled through late summer: July's official tally (published August 7) showed 67 deliveries and 204 gross orders, taking YTD deliveries to 418, and August's tally showed a further slowdown to 47 deliveries (31 customers) and 46 gross orders, taking YTD deliveries to 465 (vs. 373 at the same point in 2025, and still ahead of Boeing's pace) but now requiring roughly 100 aircraft a month over the final four months of the year to reach the reaffirmed ~870-delivery, EUR 7.5B adjusted-EBIT and EUR 4.5B free-cash-flow guidance. Part of the August shortfall traces to a production quality issue on the A330neo (a stray tool and other lapses found on the horizontal tail plane assembled at Getafe) that all but halted A330neo handovers for three months - zero in June and July, one in August - before Airbus said in early September the root cause was identified, the issue was isolated, and deliveries had resumed. The commercial backlog stood at 9,352 at end-July, up from 9,222 at end-June. The A320 Family ramp toward 70-75/month by end-2027 remains constrained by Pratt & Whitney's PW1100G-JM engine shortfall, a dispute that has escalated from CEO Guillaume Faury's February 2026 charge that Pratt is 'not respecting their contractual obligations' into a formal Airbus damages claim that Reuters reports could go to arbitration. The A350F freighter has now penciled in a tentative first-flight date around September 24, 2026 (reported August 19-20), with a possible slip into early October on technical issues or weather; first customer delivery is still targeted for the second half of 2027, a tight window given commercial-aircraft flight-test campaigns typically run 12-15 months. A separate labor risk deepened in early September: after Airbus's Spanish workers voted 81% on August 31 to keep their indefinite strike going rather than suspend it, SIMA-mediated talks with the leading unions (CGT, UGT, UTIL) broke down on September 1 without agreement, and Airbus shifted to a parallel negotiating track with non-striking unions while the walkout, now in its second month with breaks, continued to weigh on production. Defence and space order intake is building on EU SAFE-funded demand (a June 2026 Romanian order for 12 H160/H145 helicopters, and a EUR 5.4B Spain-Poland framework agreement approved August 25, 2026 for seven jointly-procured A330 MRTT tankers) and on Airbus's June 2026 'Team Gen 6' bid to lead a realigned European next-generation fighter after the Franco-German FCAS programme collapsed. At a measured Farnborough Airshow (July 20-24, 2026) Airbus booked roughly 157 firm commercial orders plus commitments, headlined by SMBC Aviation Capital's 100 A320neo-family jets, VietJet's 20 A330neos, and new A350-1000 orders from Philippine Airlines and Riyadh Air.
Revenue Streams
Commercial Aircraft
Design, manufacturing, and support for the A220, A320 Family, A330neo, A350 and freighter derivatives. This remained Airbus's largest business in 2025 with EUR 52.6 billion in revenue.
Defence and Space
Military aircraft, satellites, launch-related systems, secure communications and other sovereign aerospace capabilities. Airbus Defence and Space generated EUR 13.4 billion of revenue in 2025.
Helicopters
Civil and military rotorcraft plus aftermarket services, with products spanning light utility, offshore, emergency medical, law-enforcement and military missions. Helicopters generated EUR 9.0 billion of revenue in 2025.
Key Metrics
Employees
165,294
Est. Annual Revenue
EUR 73.4B (FY 2025, +6%); EUR 33.2B in H1 2026 (+12% YoY) - still the latest disclosed figures as of Sept. 4, 2026 (Q3 2026 results not yet released)
9,352 aircraft (end-July 2026, up from 9,222 at end-June); 7,574 A320neo family, 574 A220, 870 A350 and 334 A330 outstanding commitments
August 2026 Deliveries (official)
47 aircraft to 31 customers and 46 gross orders (incl. airBaltic firming 10 more A220-300s); YTD deliveries reach 465, below the roughly 100/month pace now needed through year-end to hit the 870-aircraft target
2026 Delivery Guidance
~870 commercial aircraft; ~EUR 7.5B adjusted EBIT; ~EUR 4.5B FCF (reaffirmed at Q1, at Farnborough in July, and again with H1 results on July 29)
Q2 2026 Standalone Results
237 aircraft delivered (+39% YoY vs. 170 in Q2 2025); revenue EUR 20.53B (+28% YoY); adjusted EBIT EUR 2.43B (+54% YoY); net income EUR 1.66B (+126% YoY), EPS EUR 2.10 - the quarter that pulled H1 back on track after the weak Q1
2026 Deliveries (H1)
351 aircraft in H1 2026 (89 in June) - up about 15% YoY (306 in H1 2025) and the strongest first half since 2019, with 886 gross / 821 net orders logged through June per official H1 2026 results. Airbus is internally targeting 900+ deliveries for the full year, above its official 870 guidance.
June 2026 Orders/Deliveries
89 deliveries in June (82 single-aisle incl. 73 A320neo family + 9 A220; 7 A350 widebody); 351 delivered in H1. May had 81 deliveries / 379 gross orders.
July 2026 Deliveries (official)
67 aircraft to 39 customers (6 A220-300, 18 A320neo, 37 A321neo, 4 A350-900, 2 A350-1000) and 204 gross orders; down from June's 89 and below the ~85-90/month pace needed to hit the 870-aircraft full-year target. YTD deliveries reached 418 to 82 customers, ahead of 373 at the same point in 2025
A220 Family Orders
1,100+ firm orders as of end-June 2026 (surpassed 1,000 in May 2026 after AirAsia's landmark 150-aircraft order; BermudAir joined as the newest A220 customer with a 10-aircraft A220-300 order at Farnborough in July), growing further after airBaltic firmed 10 more A220-300s in August 2026
A320 Family Lifetime Orders
20,378 total orders as of end-July 2026 (up from 20,169 at end-May), with 12,798 delivered and 11,308 currently in service; 7,739 of the total are A321neos, the most-ordered single variant
2026 Net Orders (YTD)
1,024 net commercial orders through July 2026 (1,090 gross orders less 66 cancellations), crossing the 1,000-aircraft mark for the year on the back of a pre-Farnborough $12.4B China deal (Air China/Shenzhen Airlines) and the Farnborough Airshow order haul
Farnborough 2026 Orders
~157 firm Airbus commercial orders plus commitments (of a show-wide $84.7B / 353 firm aircraft across all OEMs), headlined by SMBC Aviation Capital's 100 A320neo family and Vietjet's 20 A330neo (~$7.4B); plus Riyadh Air 6 + Philippine Airlines 9 A350-1000, flynas 20 A321neo + 5 A330-900, and BermudAir 10 A220-300 (new customer)
EUR -1,043M (free cash flow); EUR -1,166M before customer financing (H1 2025: EUR -1,610M) - mainly working-capital and inventory build-up ahead of the H2 delivery ramp needed to still hit the ~EUR 4.5B full-year FCF-before-customer-financing guidance
Share Buyback (Jul 2026)
EUR 5B (~$5.7B) programme announced July 26, 2026 alongside raised medium-term financial targets
Timeline
2026Atlas Air becomes A350F largest customer
Atlas Air signs a firm order for 20 A350F freighters with options for 20 more in March 2026 - its largest order ever - pushing the A350F backlog above 100 aircraft and making Atlas the type's largest customer globally.
2026Soft Q1 amid engine shortages and China disruptions
Airbus reports Q1 2026 with 114 deliveries (vs. 136), EUR 12.65B revenue (-7%) and adjusted EBIT halved to EUR 300M - held back by Pratt & Whitney engine shortages on the A320 line and administrative delivery disruptions for nearly 20 aircraft destined for Chinese customers. Full-year guidance of ~870 deliveries is reaffirmed.
2026AirAsia and China Southern drive 379-order May haul
Airbus's May 2026 monthly report (published June 5) logs 81 commercial deliveries and 379 gross orders for the month, paced by AirAsia X's firm order for 150 A220-300s - the largest single-customer A220 deal ever, at a ~$19B list-price tag and launching a new 160-seat A220 cabin - and a 102-jet order from China Southern Airlines (23 A320neos, 79 A321neos), with subsidiary Xiamen Airlines taking a further 35 A320neo-family jets for a 137-aircraft group total. The orders push the A220 family past 1,000 firm orders and the A320 family past 20,000 lifetime orders.
2026SAS orders up to 40 A330 widebodies in $10B fleet renewal
On June 30, 2026 Scandinavian Airlines announced the largest investment in its history: a commitment for up to 40 Airbus A330-family widebodies, valued at more than $10 billion at list prices, to renew and expand its long-haul fleet. The deal comprises a firm order for 18 A330-900neo aircraft plus additional used A330-300s to be leased or acquired for interim capacity. With only about 14 long-haul jets today, the order could roughly triple SAS's intercontinental fleet, with new-generation deliveries expected from the early 2030s.
2026Best first half since 2019 with 351 H1 deliveries
Airbus's official first-half figures, reported July 10, 2026, showed 351 commercial aircraft delivered in H1 2026 - 89 of them in June - up about 15% from 306 in H1 2025 and its strongest first half since 2019, as A320-family output recovered from the Pratt & Whitney geared-turbofan engine shortage that dragged on Q1. Airbus logged 887 gross orders (822 net after cancellations) through June and expects to hand over about 80 jets in July, keeping it on track toward reaffirmed full-year guidance of ~870 deliveries - with an internal ambition to exceed 900.
2026Leads Farnborough 2026 order haul led by SMBC's 100 jets
At a measured Farnborough International Airshow (July 20-24, 2026) - a subdued show whose all-OEM total reached about $84.7B and 353 firm aircraft orders - Airbus booked roughly 157 firm commercial orders plus commitments, options and freighter conversions. The headline deal was lessor SMBC Aviation Capital's firm order for 100 A320neo-family aircraft (65 A321neo and 35 A320neo). Widebody demand was strong: VietJet firmed an order for 20 A330neos worth about $7.4B at list prices on July 22 (its first widebody type, firming a May 2025 MoU); Philippine Airlines signed an MoU for nine more A350-1000s (doubling its A350-1000 order book to 18); Riyadh Air firmed six additional A350-1000s (taking its commitment to 31); and Saudi low-cost carrier flynas added 20 A321neos and five A330-900s while BermudAir joined as a new customer with 10 A220-300s. Airbus went into the show having already banked a roughly $12.4B China deal (Air China 15 A350-900s, Shenzhen Airlines 40 A320neos), and CEO Guillaume Faury reaffirmed the ~870-aircraft 2026 delivery guidance.
2026Airbus launches 'Team Gen 6' fighter plan after FCAS split
Days after France and Germany agreed on June 8, 2026 to scrap their joint FCAS next-generation fighter over an unresolved Airbus-Dassault workshare deadlock, Airbus Defence and Space and seven other German firms (Autoflug, Diehl Defence, Hensoldt, Liebherr, MBDA Deutschland, MTU Aero Engines and Rohde & Schwarz) signed a 'Team Gen 6' strategic positioning paper at the ILA Berlin air show on June 11. The consortium proposed taking responsibility for the sixth-generation fighter at the core of a realigned Future Combat Air System and urged Berlin to award contracts in full by the second half of 2026.
2026Unveils U760 Ravenstorm combat drone at ILA Berlin
At the ILA Berlin air show on June 11, 2026 Airbus unveiled the U760 Ravenstorm, an uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft, or 'loyal wingman,' designed to fly alongside crewed fighters for air-to-air combat, air-to-ground strike, and electronic-warfare missions. The reveal headlined an expanded Airbus uncrewed-systems portfolio that also included the U145, an autonomous version of its H145 helicopter, positioning Airbus to compete in the fast-growing market for autonomous combat drones paired with next-generation fighters.
2026Romania orders 12 Airbus helicopters under EU SAFE programme
On June 10, 2026 Romania's Ministry of Internal Affairs signed a contract for 12 Airbus multirole helicopters - seven H160s and five H145s - funded under the European Union's Security Action for Europe (SAFE) instrument. The H160s go to civil protection, disaster relief, public order and aerial surveillance roles, while the five H145s equip Romania's SMURD emergency-rescue and mountain-rescue services, reinforcing Airbus Helicopters' order intake at the start of the SAFE-driven European defence and public-safety procurement wave.
2026Airbus wins ESA Aeolus-2 wind-sensing satellite contract
On July 2, 2026 Airbus Defence and Space signed the initial contract with the European Space Agency to design and build Aeolus-2, at a ceremony at ESA's ECSAT UK headquarters in Harwell. Successor to the pioneering 2018 Aeolus mission, Aeolus-2 carries a Doppler wind lidar with ultraviolet lasers that will profile winds from the ground up to 30 km and add an aerosol-measuring detector, delivering data to weather centres including the UK Met Office and ECMWF within about 120 minutes. Developed by ESA with EUMETSAT, the ~450 km-orbit satellite has a planned 5.5-year life and reinforces the strength of Airbus's Defence and Space division in Earth-observation.
2026Airbus anchors new E2D European defence-tech fund at Farnborough
At the Farnborough Airshow on July 21, 2026 Airbus Defence and Space became an anchor investor in E2D, a new European dual-use and defence technology growth fund targeting around EUR 500 million, aimed at scaling promising European defence-tech startups amid the continent's rearmament cycle. The move deepens Airbus's push into venture-style backing of sovereign defence innovation, alongside its Aeolus-2 satellite win, 'Team Gen 6' next-generation fighter bid, and expanding uncrewed-systems portfolio.
2026EUR 5B buyback and raised targets ahead of H1 results
On July 26, 2026 Airbus announced a EUR 5 billion (~$5.7B) share buyback programme and raised its medium-term financial targets, signaling confidence in the second-half delivery ramp. Airbus then reported H1 2026 results on July 29: consolidated revenue rose 12% year over year to EUR 33.2B, on 351 commercial aircraft delivered in the half (up from 306 in H1 2025) comprising 44 A220s, 271 A320-family jets, 10 A330s and 26 A350s, with the order backlog at 9,222 aircraft (886 gross / 821 net orders logged through June).
2026Airbus and MTU Aero Engines plan hydrogen fuel-cell engine joint venture
On July 7, 2026 Airbus and MTU Aero Engines announced plans to form a joint venture dedicated to developing and commercializing a fully electric hydrogen fuel-cell aircraft engine, following a Memorandum of Understanding signed at the Paris Air Show in June 2025. Airbus will handle liquid-hydrogen storage and overall aircraft integration; MTU will lead the engine, fuel-cell stack, and certification and maintenance. The venture is targeted to start operating in 2027, subject to regulatory approvals and European labor consultations.
2026Launches Wing of Tomorrow flight-test campaign on A321neo
At the Farnborough Airshow on July 21, 2026 Airbus launched a new multi-year flight-test campaign under its Wing of Tomorrow research program, the next phase of its work toward a next-generation single-aisle aircraft. Over the following three years Airbus will design, build and flight test full-scale, high-aspect-ratio wing extensions - broadening the current 34m span by roughly 4-5m per side, similar in concept to a folding wing - installed on an A321neo testbed, with actual flight testing set to begin in the second half of 2027. In parallel, Airbus UpNext's shape-changing eXtra Performance WING demonstrator is targeting a remotely piloted maiden flight by the end of 2026.
2026Delivers first special-operations NH90 to France
Airbus Helicopters delivers the first NH90 Standard 2 special-operations variant to France's DGA armament directorate on July 30, 2026, fitted with a Safran Euroflir 410D electro-optical system, a new digital map generator, and provisions for a third crew member. France has ordered 18 of the type for its special forces squadron at Pau, with deliveries running through mid-2029; Spain joined the program in December 2025 with an order for 31 units of a similar standard.
2026A350F completes Ground Vibration Testing ahead of first flight
Airbus completes a three-day Ground Vibration Test (GVT) campaign on the first A350F flight-test aircraft at Toulouse-Blagnac, reported August 3, 2026 - one of the final structural-validation milestones required before first flight. The test excites the airframe with controlled vibrations to confirm that Airbus's aeroelastic models accurately predict the aircraft's real in-flight structural behavior, feeding directly into the certification campaign as the programme works toward its targeted first flight before the end of 2026.
2026Lars Wagner becomes Commercial Aircraft CEO
Lars Wagner, previously CEO of MTU Aero Engines, takes over as CEO of Airbus's Commercial Aircraft business on January 1, 2026, succeeding Christian Scherer after more than 40 years at Airbus. Group CEO Guillaume Faury remains unchanged.
2026Matthieu Louvot becomes Airbus Helicopters CEO
Airbus appoints Matthieu Louvot Chief Executive Officer of Airbus Helicopters effective April 1, 2026, succeeding Bruno Even, who leaves the company.
Hisdesat names Airbus Defence and Space prime contractor (with Thales Alenia Space) to design, build and test SpainSat NG-III, a next-generation secure communications satellite for the Spanish Armed Forces and NATO allies under the GOVSATCOM initiative, announced July 31, 2026. Launch is planned for Q3 2030 with entry into service in early 2031, extending Airbus's secure-satcom franchise into the 2030s.
2026Breaks ground on Belfast A220 wing facility expansion
Airbus began construction around August 20, 2026 on a 6,221 sq m extension to its Belfast site, the sole global source of A220 wings, adding a third autoclave plus specialized tooling and cranage to support ramping A220 wing output toward 13 aircraft a month by 2028. The project also adds new security infrastructure, high-voltage electrical substations, an office block, a 650-space car park and 40 new apprenticeships, with completion targeted for the first half of 2028.
2026Spain workers resume an indefinite strike
Thousands of Airbus workers in Spain resumed strike action the week of August 24, 2026 after rejecting the company's latest pay and conditions offer, unions said August 26, describing Tuesday's stoppage as the start of an indefinite strike after 22 days of industrial action in July. Unions said about 90% of eligible workers took part; French unions briefed on the dispute said the three striking Spanish unions represent about 40% of Airbus Spain's roughly 14,000 employees. Airbus has frozen planned hiring in Spain for the duration of the strike; unions said military and commercial production had already slowed, while Airbus said last week that disruption to administrative and support functions had not yet affected production.
2026Wins $115M U.S. Army UH-72B Lakota helicopter contract
Airbus is awarded a $115 million U.S. Army contract on August 14, 2026 for 10 new UH-72B Lakota helicopters, with an option for two more (total value up to $140.7M). The aircraft support Army National Guard missions including homeland defense, search and rescue, disaster relief, surveillance and MEDEVAC, extending production of the UH-72 - the Army's third-largest rotor-wing fleet - with deliveries running from 2027 through 2029.
2026Airbus Helicopters and Terma sign Danish defence MoU
Airbus Helicopters and Danish defense contractor Terma A/S sign a Memorandum of Understanding on August 19, 2026 to deepen their industrial partnership, covering advanced manufacturing of composite and metal parts, integration of Terma's electronic-warfare systems, joint research and technology development, and MRO services aimed at building Danish operational sovereignty and high-tech manufacturing jobs.
Spain's Council of Ministers approves a EUR 5.4 billion (~$6.3B) framework agreement on August 25, 2026 for the joint procurement of seven Airbus A330 MRTT tankers with Poland - three for Spain and four for Poland - financed in part through the EU's Security Action for Europe (SAFE) loan instrument. The tankers will be assembled at Airbus's Getafe conversion center near Madrid; the seven-year framework sets up subsequent contract negotiations, with Polish deliveries targeted by 2030.
2026Reviews possible sale of US satellite manufacturing business
The Financial Times reported on August 29, 2026 that Airbus has opened a strategic review of its US small-satellite manufacturing operation at Merritt Island, Florida, with a sale among the options under consideration. The site employs more than 200 people, generates several hundred million dollars in annual revenue, and produced more than 600 first-generation OneWeb satellites before Airbus moved next-generation OneWeb production to Toulouse. Airbus confirmed the review and said it is separate from the planned combination of its European space activities with Leonardo and Thales; no decision or buyer has been disclosed.
2026A330neo deliveries nearly halted for three months by a tail-plane quality issue
Airbus discovers a production quality lapse, including a stray tool left inside an A330neo horizontal tail plane (assembled at its Getafe plant near Madrid), that forces added inspections and drops A330neo handovers to zero in June and July and just one (to Starlux Airlines) in August. Airbus says the root cause is identified, calls the issue isolated and unrelated to the concurrent Spain labor dispute, and confirms deliveries resumed in early September with no inspection required on A330neos already in airline service.
2026August deliveries cool to 47; YTD reaches 465 as 870 target tightens
Airbus's official August 2026 tally shows 47 aircraft delivered to 31 customers and 46 gross orders (led by airBaltic firming 10 more A220-300s), taking year-to-date deliveries to 465 - a monthly pace well short of the roughly 100 aircraft a month now needed over September-December to reach the reaffirmed 870-aircraft full-year guidance.
2025Record financial performance with 793 deliveries
Airbus closes 2025 with 793 commercial aircraft deliveries, EUR 73.4 billion in revenue, and a record commercial aircraft backlog of 8,754 units, while guiding to around 870 deliveries in 2026.
2025Global A320 software recall over solar-radiation flight-control risk
On November 28, 2025 Airbus and EASA (Emergency Airworthiness Directive 2025-0268-E) ordered urgent precautionary software - and in some cases hardware - changes across roughly 6,000 A320-family aircraft, one of the largest fleet actions in Airbus history. Analysis of an October 30, 2025 JetBlue A320 uncommanded-pitch event found that intense solar radiation could corrupt data in the Elevator Aileron Computer (ELAC) - a 'single event upset' that could trigger uncommanded elevator movement. Most jets needed only a roughly two-hour reversion to earlier, radiation-resilient software, but ~1,000-2,000 required hardware changes, causing significant late-November flight disruption before the fleet action was largely completed.
2024A321XLR enters airline service
Airbus delivers the first A321XLR to Iberia, putting its extra-long-range narrow-body into airline service and extending the A320 Family into thinner long-haul routes.
2019A380 production ended
Airbus announces the end of A380 production due to insufficient demand, with the last delivery in 2021.
2016A320neo enters service
The A320neo (new engine option) family enters service with Lufthansa, offering 15-20% fuel savings over the previous A320ceo.
2014Rebranded as Airbus Group
EADS is renamed Airbus Group SE, consolidating all operations under the Airbus brand.
2013A350 XWB maiden flight
The A350 XWB, Airbus's newest wide-body aircraft featuring a composite fuselage and wings, completes its maiden flight.
2005A380 maiden flight
The Airbus A380, the world's largest passenger airliner with a full double-deck configuration, makes its first flight.
2001EADS restructuring
Airbus Industrie is reorganized into Airbus SAS, a joint subsidiary of the newly formed European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS).
1988A320 enters service
The A320 enters commercial service, becoming the first commercial airliner with digital fly-by-wire flight controls, revolutionizing aircraft design.
1972A300 maiden flight
The Airbus A300, the world's first twin-engine wide-body aircraft, makes its maiden flight from Toulouse.
1970Airbus Industrie formed
Airbus Industrie is established as a consortium (GIE) between Aerospatiale (France) and Deutsche Airbus (Germany) to develop the A300.
