Airbus' quarterly report underlines the dominance of the A320 series. But Boeing is back as a competitor. The industry is waiting for the A320 successor.
As announced, Airbus plans to deliver 870 commercial aircraft this year, which would represent a new record.
Short- and medium-haul aircraft dominated the order book between January and the end of September 2026.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently approved the 737 Max 10, the longest variant that European airlines such as Tui and Sunexpress are waiting for.
Boeing leads in long-haul jets with 213 orders for the 777X and 787, Airbus is below with 162 orders for the A330 and A350.
Frankfurt. The fact that Airbus had to adjust its production target downwards several times due to missing parts and components should no longer happen. As planned, 870 commercial aircraft will be handed over to customers throughout the year, said CEO Guillaume Faury on Wednesday evening when presenting the quarterly figures. It would be a new delivery record.
Investors were satisfied, the shares rose by 1.3 percent on Thursday morning. Investors know how important the construction of commercial aircraft is for the European aerospace group.
The current interim report once again shows the dominance of this business area. At 36.7 billion euros, it accounted for a good 72 percent of group sales of 50.6 billion euros between January and September of this year. Commercial aircraft contributed 3.8 billion euros to the operating result of 4.5 billion euros.
Airbus does not break down sales and earnings figures into individual aircraft models. But a look at the order book shows that short- and medium-haul aircraft in particular are stimulating business. Between January and the end of September 2026, airlines and leasing companies ordered 1,012 of the jets, known in technical jargon as “single-aisle”. These included 830 aircraft from the A320neo series. The rest is accounted for by smaller A220s.
Airbus has depended heavily on the success of the A320 for years. It is the jet that is considered the most important model for airlines.
Airbus must prepare for increasing competition
So far this dependency has not been a problem. The only competitor in this market segment, the US company Boeing, was almost non-existent. Production of the American counterpart, the 737 Max, was restricted by the authorities due to problems in production and software.
This is reflected in the numbers so far. The US rival was only able to receive 443 orders for its short- and medium-haul aircraft this year by the end of September. But the Airbus rival is slowly fighting its way back into the market.
Although he's still having a bit of a hard time with it. Actually, 47 Boeing 737s per month were supposed to leave the halls at the end of the year. But the suppliers are not playing along. Some wings are missing. Boeing boss Kelly Ortberg therefore had to postpone the 47 rate to the beginning of 2027 last Tuesday.
But the renewed problems should not distract from the fact that the Airbus rival will again have growing importance in the short- and medium-haul aircraft market segment in the future. After years of delays, the US company received approval from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) a few days ago for the 737 Max 10, the longest version of this aircraft type. In Europe, the travel group Tui and Sunexpress, the joint venture between Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines, are waiting for this variant.
For the time being, Airbus does not have to fear for market leadership in short- and medium-haul jets. But the group cannot rest on its previous success. The more stable Boeing's production expansion is, the more likely airline buyers will be to order there.
Boeing leads in long-haul aircraft
In addition, despite Boeing's years-long crisis, Airbus has not managed to catch up with or surpass its US rival in long-haul aircraft. At the end of September, 213 long-haul jets of the two variants 777X and 787 had been ordered from Boeing this year - including freighters. Military and business variants are not included. Airbus, on the other hand, only collected 162 orders for the A330 and A350, including freight jets.
The pressure is growing on Airbus not to waste any time in the ongoing development of a successor to the blockbuster A320. The new aircraft will probably come onto the market between 2035 and 2040, according to the industry.
Suppliers have high expectations. According to a survey conducted by the consulting firm H&Z from October 9th to 16th, 44 percent of suppliers expect their role in the A320 successor to be greater than it currently is. For 13 percent, the planned jet is an integral part of their own strategic growth plans. Only 24 percent assume that their role will not change, 19 percent expect it to decrease.
“Some of the euphoria here seems to me to be too great,” says Michael Santo, Senior Advisor Aerospace & Defense at the H&Z Group. Airbus is primarily focusing on increasing efficiency while retaining many proven concepts. Santo warns: “What role today’s supplier base will actually play in this is by no means certain.”
