PARIS, Aug 7 (Reuters) – Airbus needs to deliver an average of 90 jets a month between now and the rest of the year to meet its target after posting flat deliveries in July, company data showed on Friday.
At its earnings results last week, the European planemaker voiced increasing confidence of reaching its full-year target of around 870 deliveries and took a more conciliatory tone towards Pratt & Whitney in their ongoing dispute over engine supplies.
Airbus said it had delivered 67 planes in July, unchanged from the same month last year and bringing the total for the year so far to 418 jets following a slow start.
CEO Guillaume Faury said last week that the wording of the company’s target of “around 870” aircraft was consistent with deliveries up to 890 units. Sources have said the company is internally pushing staff to achieve more than 900 deliveries.
Airbus booked 204 orders in July following a subdued Farnborough Airshow. That brings the total this year to 1,024, or 1,090 after adjustments including last month’s cancellations of 15 A330neos for AirAsia X as part of a deal to buy 150 A220s.
Orders included confirmation of non-Farnborough deals for dozens of aircraft from Hainan Airlines and China Eastern.
Additionally, Airbus officially booked 100 A320neo-family orders from Irish leasing giant SMBC Aviation at Farnborough.
The world’s second-largest leasing company also ordered 100 Boeing 737 MAX at Farnborough, though industry sources say these had been flagged in the U.S. planemaker’s data in June, which included 102 MAX orders from unidentified buyers.
Boeing is due to update its data next Tuesday.
(Reporting by Tim Hepher; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
