Airbus reports €1.1 billion loss for 2020

The aerospace giant expects to deliver the same number of aircraft this year as it did in 2020

European aircraft manufacturer Airbus reported a full-year net loss of €1.1 billion (£980m) amid a slump in demand for its products caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

During 2020, the airframer managed to deliver 566 commercial jets, down from 863 in the same period the previous year. 

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All photos Airbus

Net commercial aircraft orders totalled 268, with its backlog comprising 7,184 examples as of December 31. For comparison, in 2019 the firm landed 768 orders for its commercial aircraft. 

“The 2020 results demonstrate the resilience of Airbus in the most challenging crisis to hit the aerospace industry. I want to thank our teams for their great achievements in 2020 and acknowledge the strong support of our Helicopters and Defence and Space businesses. I would also like to thank our customers, suppliers and partners for their loyalty to Airbus,” said Guillaume Faury, Airbus chief executive officer. “Many uncertainties remain for our industry in 2021 as the pandemic continues to impact lives, economies and societies. We have issued guidance to provide some visibility in a volatile environment. Over the longer term, our ambition is to lead the development of sustainable global aerospace industry.” 

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The manufacturer’s global workforce shrank by just 3% in 2020 to end the year at 131,349. 

Looking to the future, the company expects to deliver the same number of commercial aircraft this year as it did in 2020. This guidance was formulated on the assumption that there will be no further disruption to the world economy, air traffic, internal operations and its ability to deliver products and services. 

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Last month, Airbus revealed it would increase the production of its flagship A320 programme more slowly than previously reported. The manufacturer said it would gradually ramp up output from the current rate of 40 per month to 43 in the third quarter and 45 in Q4 this year.