Airbus taps Moraleda as next board chair as Obermann prepares exit

Airbus shareholders approved all resolutions at the company’s 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM) on April 14, 2026, in Amsterdam, including a leadership transition that will see René Obermann step down as Chair of the Board of Directors later this year. 

Obermann informed the board that he will not seek a new mandate when his current term expires at the 2027 AGM. He will step down from the chair position on October 1, 2026. Lead Independent Director Amparo Moraleda has been designated by the board to succeed him on that date. 

Obermann, who joined the board in 2018 and became chair in 2020, steered Airbus through a period that included the COVID-19 pandemic, acute supply chain disruptions, and a deteriorating geopolitical environment. In a statement, he expressed confidence in the company’s trajectory, citing a strong management team and 165,000 employees. 

Moraleda, a long-serving non-executive member who currently chairs the Remuneration, Nomination and Governance Committee, pledged to work closely with the management team to ensure Airbus is equipped to navigate what she described as rapid changes in the global environment. 

Read more: Airbus delivers 793 jets in 2025 as A320 checks and Boeing results loom 

New board appointments 

Shareholders voted to appoint Henriette Hallberg Thygesen, CEO of Danish defense and aerospace company Terma, as a non-executive board member for a three-year term. She replaces Feiyu Xu, whose mandate expired at the close of the AGM. The board acknowledged Xu’s contributions on technological matters, including digitalization and AI. 

Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, was also appointed as a non-executive member for an initial one-year term, completing the remaining mandate of Victor Chu, who departed after eight years of service. 

The mandates of non-executive members Mark Dunkerley, Stephan Gemkow and Antony Wood were renewed for three-year terms. Guillaume Faury’s position as CEO was not part of this year’s renewal cycle. 

Dividend reflects strong 2025 

Shareholders approved the proposed payment of a 2025 dividend of €3.20 per share, up sharply from the €2.00 ordinary dividend and €1.00 special dividend paid for the 2024 fiscal year. The payout reflects what Airbus described as a landmark 2025, during which the company posted revenues of €73.4 billion, an adjusted EBIT of €7.1 billion, and free cash flow of €4.6 billion. Airbus delivered 793 commercial aircraft during the year, exceeding its revised target of approximately 790. 

Production headwinds persist 

The AGM took place against a backdrop of persistent industrial challenges. Airbus delivered just 114 commercial aircraft in the first quarter of 2026, a 16% decline from the same period last year and the company’s weakest quarterly output since 2009. The shortfall has been most acute in the narrowbody segment, where A320neo family deliveries fell approximately 24%, from 106 aircraft in Q1 2025 to 81. 

CEO Guillaume Faury has pointed to ongoing engine supply constraints from Pratt and Whitney, which powers roughly 40% of the global A320 fleet, as a key drag on deliveries. Airbus is seeking compensation from the engine maker over the delays, a dispute that could ultimately go to arbitration. 

Despite the production challenges, demand remains robust. Airbus booked 331 new orders in March 2026 alone, pushing its backlog to a record 9,037 aircraft. The company has set an annual delivery target of approximately 870 aircraft for 2026, though achieving that figure will require a significant acceleration over the remaining three quarters. 

Full first-quarter financial results are expected on April 28, 2026. The post Airbus taps Moraleda as next board chair as Obermann prepares exit appeared first on AeroTime.

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