Airbus July deliveries flat, China orders firm up backlog
Airbus delivered 67 jets in July, matching last year, and confirmed major Chinese orders as it pushes toward its 870-unit annual goal.
Airbus kept its delivery pace steady in July, handing over 67 aircraft to customers — the same number as in the same month last year. That brings the European planemaker's total for the first seven months of 2025 to 418 jets, leaving it with a steep climb to meet its full-year target.
To reach the lower end of its guidance of "around 870" deliveries, Airbus must now hand over an average of 90 aircraft every month through December. The company's leadership expressed growing confidence in hitting that goal during last week's earnings call, while also striking a more conciliatory tone in its ongoing dispute with engine supplier Pratt & Whitney.
On the order side, Airbus recorded 204 gross bookings in July, a solid month following a relatively quiet Farnborough Airshow. The tally brings net orders for the year to 1,090 after accounting for cancellations, including the removal of 15 A330neo orders from AirAsia X as part of a broader deal for 150 A220s.
Notable additions include confirmations of previously announced deals from Chinese carriers Hainan Airlines and China Eastern, covering dozens of aircraft. Airbus also formally booked 100 A320neo-family orders from Irish lessor SMBC Aviation Capital, announced at Farnborough.
The same lessor also placed 100 orders for Boeing's 737 MAX at the airshow, though industry sources suggest those may have already appeared in Boeing's June order data, which listed 102 MAX orders from unidentified buyers. Boeing is scheduled to update its figures next week.