They build the fuselages long before the roar of engines can claim them. Steel skeletons, aircraft bodies nearly complete, also called “gliders,” wait in silence for what they need most: engines and cabin components. For Airbus, the path from factory floor to runway has become a lesson in patience and persistence.
Once it was just engines lagging. Suppliers like CFM International faltered, production strained; gliders piled up. Then came delays in structural parts, labor constraints, and cabin interiors such as seats—elements that seem mundane until they define whether a plane can ever leave the ground. Each missing engine, each delayed seat becomes a bottleneck, delaying airline schedules, squeezing margins, and testing trust.
Airbus says it has about 60 completed aircraft awaiting engine installation, not just from CFM but now also from Pratt & Whitney. The company still targets delivering 820 commercial aircraft in 2025, about 7% more than in 2024, but admits that meeting that goal depends heavily on suppliers improving performance. Some of the delays being communicated are reaching into 2027 and 2028, especially for models in high demand like the A320neo family.
Seat supply has also shown up among the weak links—especially in wide-body aircraft where complex cabin configurations and premium components are harder to source. The company is working to address both engine and cabin supply constraints, but the timeline remains tight. Speeding up test flights, accelerating certifications, leaning on suppliers—none of this is neat, none is simple, and none can eliminate risk.
Airbus has delivered 507 aircraft in the first nine months of 2025, with a record September delivery number, and the number of gliders has declined from its peak earlier in the year, suggesting some easing of engine bottlenecks. Still, the company acknowledges that delays will persist for some time.
Airbus is continuing to face delays in aircraft deliveries due to ongoing engine shortages and seat supply issues, though it remains committed to its 2025 delivery target of around 820 jets.
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Sources: Reuters, Financial Times, Aeronews Journal, MarketScreener, The Guardian
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