• Airbus has scaled back its 2025 aircraft delivery target after discovering a supplier-related flaw in fuselage panels used on some A320 Family jets, according to BBC.
• Based on a recent supplier quality issue on fuselage panels impacting its A320 Family delivery flow, Airbus SE is providing an update to its commercial aircraft delivery guidance for 2025.

Airbus has lowered its 2025 delivery forecast, citing a “supplier quality issue” affecting fuselage panels on a limited number of A320 Family aircraft.

In a statement, the manufacturer said it now expects to deliver around 790 commercial aircraft in 2025 — down from previous projections. The affected panels, located at the front of the fuselage, were found to be either too thick or too thin. Up to 600 aircraft may need to be inspected, although not all are expected to require repairs.

According to Airbus, the root cause has been “identified and contained,” and all newly produced panels conform to specifications. The company added that the issue “does not affect the flight safety” of the aircraft in question, but inspections will determine any required corrective action.

A spokesperson described the company’s approach as “conservative,” noting that Airbus is checking all potentially affected aircraft as a precaution.

Despite the delivery adjustment, Airbus maintains its 2025 financial guidance, including:

• EBIT Adjusted of around €7.0 billion

• Free Cash Flow before Customer Financing of approximately €4.5 billion

The quality issue comes just days after thousands of A320s were temporarily grounded due to an unrelated urgent software update. Airbus is scheduled to publish its commercial aircraft orders and deliveries for November on Friday 5 December.