Airbus logged lower earnings in the third quarter as it works to significantly boost plane deliveries to customers in the last few months of the year.
The European plane maker said adjusted earnings before interest and taxes--its preferred measure of profitability--declined 9% from a year earlier to 1.77 billion euros, equivalent to $1.97 billion. It reported a 20% increase in net profit to 1.34 billion euros.
Meanwhile, revenue slipped 2% to 17.47 billion euros. Analysts had forecast adjusted EBIT of 1.78 billion euros, a net profit of 1.30 billion euros and revenue of 17.91 billion euros, according to market consensus provided by the company based on estimates from 22 analysts.
Airbus's figures come a day after rival Boeing posted a quarterly loss of $116 million as higher costs ate into profits within its commercial-jet business.
Boeing is investing heavily in airplane production as executives work to revive the company's fortunes after the blowout of an Alaska Airlines door plug in 2024 exposed the U.S. jet maker to tighter regulatory scrutiny.
Airbus Chief Executive Guillaume Faury said the group was focusing on deliveries in what he called a complex geopolitical and operating environment. Airbus is seeking to ramp up deliveries of its commercial aircraft to customers in the fourth quarter so it can meet its annual target of roughly 870 planes.
The group dispatched 547 planes by the end of September, meaning it still needs to send out about 323 between October and the end of December, an outcome that analysts say is achievable since Airbus tends to deliver more aircraft toward the end of the year.
Airbus had a slow start to the year that led some analysts to question whether it would be forced to lower its target because of supply-chain issues as it did in 2022, 2024 and 2025. An engine shortage from Pratt & Whitney forced Airbus to slow production of its best-selling A320 jets earlier this year.
The company has faced hurdles in sourcing engines, seats, lavatories and other equipment for years, hindering aircraft production and, consequently, deliveries. Despite its setbacks, Airbus retains its lead as the plane maker with the most commercial aircraft deliveries globally: Boeing shipped 475 planes by the end of September, lower than Airbus's 547.
Airbus said it still expected to make 13 A220 narrow-body aircraft a month in 2028, between 70 and 75 A320s a month by the end of next year, five A330s a month in 2029 and 12 of its larger A350 model in 2028.
The group continues to expect adjusted EBIT of around 7.5 billion euros and free cash flow before customer financing of around 4.5 billion euros this year.
The company is seeking to significantly boost earnings in the coming years, betting that demand for commercial and military aircraft will remain strong: It is aiming for adjusted EBIT between 12 billion euros and 13 billion euros in 2029, up from 7.13 billion euros last year.
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