Airbus to increase A320 aircraft production in sign of aviation recovery

Airbus has signalled confidence in the recovery of the aviation industry from the pandemic, setting out plans for a steep ramp up in the production of its popular single-aisle passenger jets.

The European aerospace group confirmed plans to increase production of its A320 family of aircraft to 45 jets a month in the fourth quarter, and told suppliers to prepare to ramp up to a target of 64 a month by the second quarter of 2023. Airbus said in a statement that it was also exploring rates as high as 70 by early 2024 and 75 by 2025.

The company expects monthly production of its larger A350 jet to rise from five per month to six by the autumn of 2022.

“The aviation sector is beginning to recover from the Covid-19 crisis”, said Guillaume Faury, chief executive.

Faury said the message to suppliers would provide “visibility to the entire industrial ecosystem to secure the necessary capabilities and be ready when market conditions call for it”.

Airbus and its US rival Boeing slashed production of both single and twin-aisle aircraft by between a third and a half last year when the pandemic first hit.

The outlook for a longer-term recovery in aviation has improved with the global rollout of vaccines despite regional flare-ups. One of the biggest challenges for the industry is ensuring that its long, intricate supply chains are ready to ramp up production to meet the expected demand.