Airbus SE has reported a robust financial performance for the fiscal year 2024, delivering 766 commercial aircraft and generating revenues of €69.2 billion. The European aerospace giant reaffirmed its market dominance with an order backlog of 8,658 commercial aircraft and issued an optimistic forecast for 2025, despite ongoing supply chain challenges.
Guillaume Faury, Airbus CEO, characterised 2024 as a “testing year” but highlighted the company’s resilience and strategic focus. “We achieved strong order intake across all businesses in 2024, with a book-to-bill well above 1, confirming the solid demand for our products and services,” he stated. The company remained committed to scaling up production, transforming its Defence and Space division, and advancing its decarbonisation efforts.
Commercial Aviation Growth Amid Supply Chain Headwinds
Airbus secured 826 net commercial aircraft orders in 2024, reflecting sustained demand despite a decline from 2023’s 2,094 orders. The A320 Family programme continued its steady ramp-up, with plans to reach 75 aircraft per month by 2027. However, the A350 and A220 programmes faced delays due to supply chain disruptions, particularly with Spirit AeroSystems, impacting planned production increases.
Revenues from commercial aircraft rose 6% to €50.6 billion, driven by increased deliveries, including 75 A220s, 602 A320 Family aircraft, 32 A330s, and 57 A350s. Airbus reaffirmed its commitment to expanding production, adjusting its A350 freighter entry-into-service timeline to the second half of 2027 and maintaining its target of 14 A220 aircraft per month by 2026.
Defence, space and helicopters show resilience
Airbus Defence and Space saw a record order intake of €16.7 billion, boosted by a contract for 25 additional Eurofighter jets for Spain. However, the division posted an EBIT Adjusted loss of €566 million due to €1.3 billion in charges related to space programmes. The A400M military airlifter programme remained under pressure, with Airbus recording a €121 million charge due to continued uncertainties regarding production and contract amendments.
Airbus Helicopters performed strongly, securing 450 net orders and generating €7.9 billion in revenue, an 8% increase year-on-year. EBIT Adjusted for the division rose to €818 million, reflecting robust deliveries and a solid aftermarket services business.
Financial performance and shareholder returns
Airbus reported EBIT Adjusted of €5.4 billion, with a net profit of €4.2 billion and reported earnings per share of €5.36. Free cash flow before customer financing stood at €4.5 billion, underlining the company’s financial stability.
In recognition of its performance, Airbus proposed a dividend of €2.00 per share, up from €1.80 in 2023, alongside a special dividend of €1.00 per share. The company also highlighted a strong cash position of €26.9 billion, supporting continued investments in future growth.
2025 outlook: Optimism with caution
Looking ahead, Airbus aims to deliver around 820 commercial aircraft in 2025 and achieve an EBIT Adjusted of approximately €7.0 billion. Free cash flow before customer financing is projected to remain steady at €4.5 billion. The company is factoring in the integration of Spirit AeroSystems work packages, which is expected to have a broadly neutral impact on EBIT but a mid-triple-digit negative effect on free cash flow.
Airbus remains cautiously optimistic about 2025, assuming no major disruptions to global trade, air traffic recovery, or supply chains. “Our 2025 guidance reflects confidence in our operational capabilities, while recognising the need to navigate industry challenges,” Faury noted.
As the aviation sector continues its post-pandemic recovery, Airbus’s ability to manage supply chain pressures, execute production ramp-ups, and maintain profitability will be closely watched. The company’s strategic investments in digitalisation, sustainable aviation, and defence will likely play a pivotal role in shaping its long-term trajectory.
