Airbus delivered 72 commercial aircraft in September, bringing its 2026 total to 547, the manufacturer said. The European planemaker confirmed its September orders and deliveries on 8 October, reporting 72 deliveries to 37 customers and 17 new aircraft orders.

Airbus has met 62.9% of its annual delivery target of approximately 870 aircraft, with 323 aircraft remaining to be handed over before the end of December. To meet the target, the manufacturer must average nearly 108 deliveries per month during the fourth quarter, compared with approximately 61 delivered per month between January and September. Deliveries have historically been higher at the end of the year: Airbus delivered 286 aircraft in the final quarter of 2025, including 136 in December, and reaching this year's target would require 37 more deliveries than during the equivalent period last year.

Airbus Commercial Aircraft CEO Lars Wagner recently told Reuters he was "very confident" of meeting the annual target. Airbus continues to face industrial challenges involving engines, components and aircraft inspections; it has previously identified Pratt & Whitney engine shortages as a constraint on A320neo-family production, and quality issues with A321neo components have added pressure to its delivery schedule. Reuters reported that approximately 20 aircraft slipped from the third quarter into the fourth due to accumulated production delays.

The A320 family accounted for 59 of September's 72 deliveries, including 37 A321neos, 21 A320neos and one A319neo. Airbus also delivered eight A220s, two A330neos and three A350-900s. The A321neo remains Airbus's largest individual delivery category, with 267 aircraft handed over since January, nearly half of all Airbus commercial deliveries this year.

New orders slowed sharply in September, with Airbus recording just 17 gross orders compared with 67 in August. September orders comprised 15 A320neos ordered by Egyptian carrier Air Cairo on 14 September and two A321neos ordered by FlyOne Armenia on 29 September. No new widebody orders were recorded during the month.

Airbus recorded 1,174 gross orders during the first nine months of 2026, including 830 A320-family aircraft, 182 A220s, 67 A330s and 95 A350s. After 69 cancellations, net orders stood at 1,105 aircraft, more than double the 514 net orders recorded during the first nine months of 2025. The company's outstanding order book reached 9,310 aircraft at the end of September.

The A330 remains the weakest-performing programme, with deliveries down 35% year-on-year. The manufacturer suspended A330 deliveries in June and July after discovering a tool inside an aircraft's tail section, and deliveries resumed in August. Airbus has since advised operators to inspect certain A330 aircraft for foreign objects; Reuters reported that approximately 160 aircraft, including military variants, could be affected.