Paris, May 4 / BNA / Airbus said, on Wednesday, that its profits in the first three months of 2022 rose to 1.22 billion euros ($ 1.28 billion), supported by an increase in aircraft deliveries as airlines recovered from the worst of the epidemic.
Revenue was up 15% from the previous year, to 12 billion euros ($12.645 billion), according to the Associated Press.
Airbus said it plans to accelerate production of the A320 family of aircraft that rival Boeing 737s to 75 per month by 2025.
However, the Toulouse-based manufacturer, based in France, said the start of passenger service for its new long-range A321 XLR aircraft will be delayed from late 2023 until early 2024. Airbus has struggled more than it expected to meet certification requirements set by the European aviation regulator.
The ramped up A320 production builds on Airbus’ current goal of building 65 A320s per month by mid-2023. The company hopes to capitalize on strong demand for short and medium-haul aircraft. Boeing is also trying to produce more 737 Max planes, but it only produces about 30 per month.
The market for these “narrow-body” aircraft is much stronger than the demand for the larger “wide-body” twin-aisles that are often for long-haul international flights – a segment of the travel market that has been slow to recover.
Chief Executive Guillaume Faury said the company had met its goals of delivering 720 aircraft this year and producing 5.5 billion euros ($5.8 billion) in pre-tax adjusted earnings, even as risks increased due to the “complex geopolitical and economic environment”.
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