Copyright Simple Flying
Airbus delivered 78 new aircraft to 36 customers in October 2025, making it the best month for deliveries so far this year. This was also the manufacturer's best October on record, far outpacing the 62 aircraft it delivered in the same month last year. Monthly deliveries also increased by 5 frames over its delivery figures from September. Airbus needs this boost after a slow first half of the year, which has put it at risk of missing its 2025 goal of 820 deliveries in the year. The primary reason is that it has been plagued by supply chain issues, with persistent engine delays from both Pratt & Whitney and CFM. Just a few months ago, the manufacturer reportedly had more than 60 narrowbody aircraft that were fully built and just awaiting their engines. Can Airbus Achieve Its 2025 Target? Airbus has now handed over 585 aircraft to its customers so far this year, which means that it still needs to deliver 235 aircraft in the last two months of the year to meet its target of 820 aircraft deliveries in 2025, per The Guardian. That's no small task, as more than 100 frames per month on average is far in excess of the pace it has set year-to-date. However, it's not entirely impossible, as Airbus delivered 207 aircraft in the final two months of last year, and its new Final Assembly Lines (FALs) in the US and China may yet give it a last-minute boost. Airbus fell behind on deliveries early in the year, only averaging 45 deliveries per month in Q1 and 56 in Q2. The main reason was due to delays with its engine suppliers. Reuters recently reported that Airbus has more than 60 aircraft that are fully built but still awaiting their engines from Pratt & Whitney or CFM to be delivered and fitted. Often referred to as 'gliders,' these nearly-done aircraft account for a large portion of the manufacturer's delivery shortfall to date. Despite the challenges, Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury recently told CNBC that they are still "on track" to reach the company's goal of delivering 820 units in 2025: “All our attention will be on engine deliveries from both CFM and Pratt & Whitney, but they’re telling us that they will be able to deliver what we need. So we remain positive for the back end of the year.” The Aircraft Delivered In October Unsurprisingly, the bulk of Airbus' October deliveries were from the A320 family, which included 25 A320neos and 37 of the stretched A321neos. A rare sight in the schedule was the delivery of two A319neos. Unlike the popular A319ceo, which achieved nearly 1,500 orders in its 25-year production run, the A319neo has garnered much less attention from airlines and has amassed only 57 orders to date. The two A319neos delivered in October were for Air China as the third and fourth in its order for 10 of the type. In total, Airbus has delivered 585 aircraft to 85 different customers in 2025. However, some customers stand out for the sheer number of deliveries they have taken so far this year, with three of them having already received more than 30 aircraft. IndiGo: The Indian carrier has more than 1,200 outstanding orders for A320 family aircraft, about 17% of the total backlog. It has taken delivery of 38 A320s and A321s so far this year. China Southern: The Chinese carrier has received 35 aircraft from Airbus in the first ten months of the year, made up of two A319neos, 12 A320neos, and 21 A321neos. Delta Air Lines: The Atlanta-based airline has taken 33 aircraft across four different variants — seven A220s, 16 A321neos, seven A330-900s, and three A350-900s. October is also the month that the A320 family officially surpassed the Boeing 737 to become the most-delivered jetliner in aviation history. The 12,260th delivery, an A320neo handed over to Saudi low-cost carrier flyadeal, marked this significant milestone on October 7, 2025. Other Highlights From October Deliveries Other highlights from the month include Emirates taking delivery of four new Airbus A350-900s. The airline has orders for 65 of the type, and has now put 13 into service since it took delivery of its first example nearly a year ago. Emirates' standard configuration for its A350s is 312 seats with 32 business class, 21 premium economy, and 259 economy class seats. However, in October it started to take delivery of its 298-seat 'Ultra Long-Haul' variants that are configured for operating 16+ hour missions.
