Airbus's profits exceeded expectations amid an increase in aircraft deliveries

Profits at Airbus, the world's largest aircraft manufacturer, surged in the second quarter thanks to a significant increase in aircraft deliveries. The company, having overcome engine supply issues, maintained its forecast of delivering approximately 870 commercial aircraft in 2026.

Adjusted earnings before interest and taxes totaled €2.43 billion ($2.8 billion). Revenue reached €20.53 billion. Both figures exceeded the consensus estimate of analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.

Adjusted operating profit for the civil aviation division rose by more than 50%, to €1.91 billion ($2.18 billion). Profit for the Defense and Space division nearly doubled, reaching €375 million ($427 million), while the Helicopters division maintained its profit at virtually the same level as last year—€175 million ($199 million).

In the second quarter, Airbus delivered 237 aircraft—a 39% increase compared to the same period last year. According to the company, strong demand for defense products also contributed to the growth in deliveries.

CEO Guillaume Faury, quoted by the Financial Times, said that Airbus is “scaling up production across all divisions to meet growing demand for the company’s civil and military solutions.”

Deliveries are projected to total approximately 870 commercial aircraft this year. According to Fory, the high volume of deliveries in the second quarter reinforces the company's confidence in its future performance.

In early 2026, Airbus scaled back its plans to ramp up production of the A320 family of aircraft and revised its delivery forecast downward due to a shortage of engines. The company managed to reach an agreement with Pratt & Whitney on sufficient engine deliveries, which bolstered Airbus’s confidence in meeting its annual plan, Fori said.

In the first half of the year alone, Airbus delivered 351 aircraft to customers, with the majority of deliveries taking place in the second quarter of 2026 following delays in delivering aircraft to customers in China at the beginning of the year.

A week earlier, Airbus released an updated medium-term forecast, according to which it expects to nearly double its adjusted operating profit by 2029 as production constraints are resolved.

The day before, Boeing’s American competitor also released its quarterly earnings report. The company reported free cash flow of $631 million, driven by an increase in aircraft deliveries, significantly exceeding analysts’ expectations, who had forecast a cash outflow.

This article was AI-translated and verified by a human editor