‘Engines and lavatories’: Airbus lays blame for slow start to annual deliveries 

The CEO of Commerical Aircraft at Airbus has laid the blame for a slow start to annual aircraft deliveries on issues surrounding engine supplies and even lavatories. 

Christian Scherer told reporters on June 11, 2026, in Toulouse, ahead of the Paris Air Show, that around 40 aircraft are ready but missing their engines.  

“We are missing engines from CFM International. We have nearly 40 gliders, as we call them, parked at our sites,” said Scherer, according to L’Usine Nouvelle. “Some are visible here, and many more are in Hamburg, Germany. Without these engineless aircraft, our deliveries would be slightly higher than currently forecast.” 

In February 2025, Airbus announced that it planned to deliver “around 820” commercial aircraft this year, but based on its figures for this year it appears the company is currently somewhat short.  

After five months of the year having passed, Airbus’ annual deliveries so far total 243 aircraft, however Scherer remains positive that the target can still be reached.  

“We haven’t changed our guidance. I caution you not to extrapolate too much from monthly numbers. There is a gradual increase in output of engines that we get from CFM. The reason we have not changed our outlook for the year is because we believe that between now and the end of the year we will get the engines,” said Scherer, according to Reuters.  

He added: “So it is a gradual increase – a little behind the curve at the moment, but we are cautiously hopeful that it can be done.” 

According to L’Usine Nouvelle, Airbus said the delay in Leap engines was down to disruptions in the supply of turbine blades from a subtractor and strikes at Safran, which jointly owns CFM with GE Aerospace. 

Scherer also reportedly said that delays to A330 and A350 deliveries were being caused by bottlenecks in aircraft cabin equipment and lavatories.  

“It’s a bit embarrassing to admit, but right now the biggest bottleneck we’re facing on wide-body aircraft, especially the A350, is the lavatories,” explained Scherer according to Le Figaro. 

So far this year Airbus deliveries have been as follows:  

January 2025 deliveries: 25 aircraft to 17 customers  
February 2025 deliveries: 40 aircraft to 25 customers  
March 2025 deliveries: 71 aircraft to 37 customers  
April 2025 deliveries: 56 aircraft to 33 customers  
May 2025 deliveries: 51 aircraft to 32 customers 
In May 2024, Airbus delivered 53 aircraft to 43 customers and in May 2023, the company delivered 63 planes to 36 customers.   

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