The aviation sector is experiencing the most serious crisis in its history, but the aircraft manufacturer announces it: in 2023 it will produce more single-aisle aircraft than before the pandemic
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The executive chairman of Airbus urges his partners to prepare both industrially and financially for a sharp acceleration in production. Guillaume Faury believes that the sector is recovering the trends prior to the Covid crisis for the best-selling models. One could not hope for better as an optimistic signal at this time.
It’s not for the next six months. The boss of Airbus expects a return to the pre-crisis level between 2023 and 2025. But the message is clear. And this return of activity, Guillaume Faury sees it above all for the commercial aircraft market, in particular the single-aisle of the A319, A320 and A 321 family. Much less, on the other hand, for large aircraft because long-haul traffic remains very affected by the consequences of the crisis. Suppliers are called upon to secure from now on a firm rate of 64 aircraft produced per month by the second quarter of 2023. Airbus today only leaves its production lines 40 aircraft per month.
Why now call on manufacturers to prepare for a restart that will not occur, at best, for two to three years? Because aeronautical production is a long cycle that involves many players. From the foundry of engine parts to the final assembly of the aircraft, including subcontractors. Giving visibility to this entire value chain is crucial.
At the start of the pandemic, Airbus announced the elimination of 15,000 jobs out of 135,000 employees in the group. Even if it cannot yet quantify, in the long term, Airbus will have to rehire. Especially since one of the objectives is to modernize and digitize by the end of 2022 one of its assembly lines in Toulouse. The sky is finally clearing up.