By Mauro Orru
Airbus is scheduled to report results for the first quarter on Tuesday. Here is what you need to know:
REVENUE FORECAST: The European plane maker is expected to post revenue of nearly 12.39 billion euros ($14.52 billion) for the three months to the end of March, according to a market consensus provided by the company based on estimates from 24 analysts. The forecast is below revenue of 13.54 billion euros that Airbus reported a year earlier.
NET PROFIT FORECAST: Net profit should come in at 282 million euros, according to the consensus, lower than 793 million euros from a year earlier.
EARNINGS FORECAST: Adjusted earnings before interest and taxes--Airbus's preferred measure of profitability--are expected at 348 million euros compared with 624 million euros a year earlier.
Persistent hurdles in its supply chains have weighed on investor confidence, making it harder for Airbus to capitalize on Boeing's woes after the blowout of an Alaska Airlines door plug in 2024 that exposed the U.S. jet maker to tighter regulatory scrutiny. Airbus shares are down more than 15% since the year began.
Meanwhile, Boeing has been gaining steam in recent months thanks to a recovering passenger jet business and growth in its defense and space segment. Boeing stock is up about 7% since January.
WHAT TO WATCH:
-- SUPPLY CHAIN: Airbus said in February that significant Pratt & Whitney engine shortages had forced it to slow production of its best-selling A320 jets and tamp down its plane delivery goal for the year. Investors will be on the lookout for commentary on whether and how engine supplies have evolved in recent months.
Airbus is aiming for roughly 870 commercial aircraft deliveries this year compared with 793 it dispatched in 2025. Airbus delivered 114 planes between January and the end of March, meaning it would need to send roughly 756 units in the three remaining quarters of the year to meet its goal.
Airbus isn't expected to change its target at this stage, RBC Capital Markets analysts wrote in a note to clients. However, they note that recent headwinds from Pratt & Whitney engine deliveries will likely continue to push Airbus deliveries into the second half of the year. "We also believe some of the re-work associated with quality escapes at the end of 2025 could be having an impact on the delivery cadence so far in 2026 as well," the analysts said.
-- MIDDLE EAST: Investors will also be paying attention to any remarks on whether and how geopolitical tensions in the Middle East might affect Airbus's supply chains and operations. Berenberg analysts wrote in a research note that the Middle East accounts for 11% of Airbus's scheduled aircraft deliveries between 2026 and 2030 and that prolonged disruption to regional air traffic could pose a threat to supply chains and increase the risk of customers deferring orders.
Write to Mauro Orru at mauro.orru@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
April 27, 2026 05:27 ET (09:27 GMT)
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