Output of the single-aisle A320 jet family will increase from 40 a month to 43 in the third quarter and 45 in the last three months of 2021, Airbus said on Thursday, scaling back a previous July target rate of 47 “in response to the market environment.”
Production plans for widebody aircraft remain unchanged, Airbus said. The decision to maintain stable output of five A350s and two A330s per month “postpones a potential rate increase for the A350”, the company added - in a sign that it aims to avoid a production cut. While Airbus beat its internal deliveries goal in 2020, industry sources say the availability of delivery financing remains blurred by uncertainty over the pace of COVID-19 vaccine distribution and the broader economic outlook.