Airbus announced that it has exceeded its annual aircraft delivery target by delivering 735 aircraft to 87 customers in 2023. This number is higher than the initial target of 720 aircraft and represents an 11% increase from 2022.
In contrast, Boeing delivered 528 aircraft throughout 2023, 48 more than the previous year. As a result, Airbus has surpassed its competitor in the race for annual aircraft delivery.
Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury stated that 2023 has been a historic year for Airbus's commercial aircraft business. They achieved exceptional sales and deliveries at the higher end of their target. Faury attributed this success to their global industrial system's increased flexibility and capacity and strong demand from airlines to renew their fleets with their most modern and fuel-efficient aircraft.
Despite a complex operating environment, Airbus' commercial aircraft order backlog in 2023 stood at 8,598 aircraft, demonstrating strong performance by the European manufacturer.
By aircraft model, the A220 family recorded 68 deliveries, showing growth of 28.3% compared to the previous year. On the other hand, the A320 model reached 571 deliveries with a growth rate of 10.6%. The A330s deliveries remained the same as last year, and document number three family deliveries showed a growth rate of 6.6% with 64 deliveries.
Airbus will release its financial results for the 2023 financial year on February 15th. During the first nine months of 2023, the manufacturer reported a net profit of €2,332 million, a 9% drop from the previous year. However, despite the decline in profits, the total revenue for the period was €42,560 million, a 12% increase compared to last year. Out of this total amount, €7,249 million was generated by the defense business, which is 4% lower than the previous year.