Engine Crisis Hits Airbus: Deliveries Down 16% in Q1
Airbus saw its delivery performance decline in the first quarter of 2026 due to ongoing engine supply issues. While the company delivered 60 aircraft in March—its highest monthly figure of the year—it still fell short of overall quarterly targets. Airbus delivered a total of 114 aircraft in the first three months of 2026, compared to 136 in the same period last year, marking a 16% year-on-year decline.
The primary source of the drop was the narrowbody A320neo family. Deliveries of the A320neo fell from 37 to 26, while A321neo deliveries declined from 65 to 55. No A319neo aircraft were delivered during the period. In contrast, deliveries under the A220 program increased from 17 to 19, and A350 deliveries rose from 9 to 11. However, these gains were insufficient to offset losses in the main program.
The slowdown is largely attributed to supply and maintenance issues affecting Pratt & Whitney GTF engines. The issue, long highlighted by Airbus, has created a significant bottleneck, with both newly produced aircraft and in-service fleets competing for limited engine availability.
Despite these challenges, Airbus has maintained its 2026 delivery target of approximately 870 aircraft. However, reaching this goal will require ramping up production to an average of around 84 aircraft per month for the remainder of the year, compared to roughly 38 per month achieved in the first quarter.
