Airbus will increase production of the A320 aircraft as a sign of aviation recovery

Airbus has expressed confidence in the recovery of the aviation industry from the pandemic, outlining plans to increase the ramp in the production of popular single-passenger passenger aircraft.

The European aerospace team has confirmed that it plans to increase production of the A320 family of aircraft by 45 jets per month in the fourth quarter, and has told suppliers it is ready to reach its target of 64 per month in the second quarter of 2023. Airbus said in the statement that it was also looking at 70 rates for 2024 and 70 for 2025.

The company expects production of the larger A350 aircraft to increase from five to six a month in the fall of 2022.

“The aviation sector has begun to recover from the Covid-19 crisis,” said Guillaume Faury, CEO.

According to Faury, the message sent to suppliers will “give visibility to the entire industrial ecosystem to ensure the necessary capabilities and to be ready when market conditions demand it.”

Airbus and its U.S. rival Boeing cut production on both single and twin aircraft between the third and a half last year when the pandemic first hit.

Forecasts for the long-term recovery of aviation have improved with the global spread of vaccines despite regional outbreaks. One of the biggest challenges for the industry is to get long and intricate supply chains ready to increase production to meet expected demand.