Airbus jet deliveries surge to 81 in May as China standoff ends

Airbus experienced a massive surge in aircraft deliveries in May, handing over 81 jets to customers, a sharp increase from the 51 planes delivered during the same month last year.

According to industry sources, the rapid acceleration is largely due to the release of planes that had been caught in a regulatory standoff with China. Airbus previously acknowledged that a Chinese "administrative topic" had delayed first-quarter shipments, but French media reports later revealed the snag was a political play. Sources indicate that Beijing intentionally held up deliveries of roughly 20 Airbus aircraft to pressure European regulators into certifying China's new homegrown passenger jet, the COMAC C919, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency recently confirmed that validation work for the C919 is now "progressing with full cooperation," effectively breaking the logjam and allowing the stored Airbus inventory to flow out to customers.

Despite the strong May rebound, aviation analysts warn that it is too early to know if Airbus will hit its ambitious target of 870 deliveries for the year. The aerospace giant is still wrestling with broader, persistent supply chain issues, including delayed shipments of engines and cabin equipment, alongside production bottlenecks at a U.S. plant supplying parts for the widebody A350.

Airbus has declined to officially comment on the delivery numbers ahead of its scheduled monthly data release on Friday.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada