European aerospace giant Airbus has been forced to significantly lower its aircraft delivery target for the year, citing a newly discovered quality problem with fuselages for its best-selling A320 family of jets.
Revised Forecast and Financial Impact
The company announced on Tuesday, 3rd December 2025, that it now expects to deliver approximately 800 commercial aircraft in 2025. This marks a sharp reduction from its previous guidance, which had projected deliveries to be in line with the around 820 aircraft handed over to customers in 2024.
This revision directly impacts the company's financial performance. Airbus stated that the fuselage issue will lead to additional costs of around €300 million in the second half of the year. Consequently, the group's closely watched adjusted earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) for the full year 2025 are now anticipated to be below its previous target of €7.5 billion.
The Root of the Problem: A320 Fuselage Sections
The core issue stems from a quality shortfall identified in certain A320 family fuselage sections. These components are supplied by Spirit AeroSystems, a major aerospace structures manufacturer. The problem relates to the "drilling and fitting of fuselage sections" at Spirit's facility in Saint-Nazaire, France.
Airbus has clarified that the issue is not a immediate flight safety concern for aircraft already in service. However, it necessitates inspections and rework on undelivered aircraft, causing delays in the production and delivery schedule. The company is working in close collaboration with Spirit AeroSystems to implement the necessary corrective measures and mitigate the disruption.
Broader Supply Chain and Market Context
This setback highlights the ongoing fragility within the global aerospace supply chain, which is still recovering from the pandemic's severe disruptions. Airbus, along with its rival Boeing, has been striving to ramp up production rates to meet resurgent demand from airlines worldwide.
The A320neo family, which includes the A319neo, A320neo, and A321neo models, is the workhorse of short-to-medium-haul aviation and is central to Airbus's commercial success. Any delay in its production has a disproportionate effect on the manufacturer's overall output and financial health.
Airbus Chief Executive, Guillaume Faury, acknowledged the challenge, stating the company is focused on addressing the problem while maintaining its long-term industrial ramp-up ambitions. The market will be watching closely for updates on how swiftly the company and its supplier can resolve the fuselage quality issue and stabilise the delivery flow for the crucial A320 programme.
