Airbus may delay some 2023 jet deliveries
Airbus is preparing the ground for further delays to planned delivery dates of some medium-haul aircraft in 2023 even as it races to meet delivery targets for 2022 in the face of supply chain and labour problems, three industry sources said.
The twin-speed approach comes as uncertainty remains over supplies of engines for new plane production as well as other parts and labour, they added, asking not to be named.
→ Azul Linhas Aéreas orders three more Airbus A330neo aircraft.
Analysts say aerospace is grappling with a series of concurrent problems with multiple knock-on effects, Reuters reported.
Jetliner and engine makers are battling supply chain and labour problems, but so too are the worldwide repair shops needed to help airlines meet a sharper than expected recovery in demand by keeping their existing aircraft in service.
The logjam in repair capacity has left dozens of planes grounded as their engines are late coming out of overhaul, and that in turn has created competition for engines between new aircraft assembly lines and spares for the existing fleet.
→ Korean Air to check Airbus A330 fleet.
Airbus produces A320-neo family jets with a choice of engines from General Electric and Safran joint venture CFM International or Raytheon Technologies unit Pratt & Whitney. Boeing uses solely CFM for its 737 family.
Currently some 129 Pratt-powered Airbus jets and 55 fitted with CFM’s LEAP engines are idle awaiting repairs, according to Ascend by Cirium’s head of global consulting Rob Morris.
Jetmakers have been facing difficulties getting other parts on time including galleys and lavatories, one executive said.
In July, Airbus said it would reach an interim production goal of 65 A320-family narrow-body jets a month in early 2024 instead of summer 2023. It targets 75 a month in 2025.
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