Airbus Group’s commercial aircraft division has turned in a 5% rise in positive earnings to €1.4 billion ($1.5 billion) over the first half of the year.
The division generated a 9% increase in revenues to €21 billion, the company states, as deliveries reached 304 aircraft for the six-month period.
Although the number of aircraft handed over stayed essentially flat, Airbus Group says there was a “strong delivery mix” which included 13 A380s and four A350s.
It adds that the earnings figure, before one-off considerations, resulted from “operational improvement” and “favourable cost-phasing” relating to research and development expense.
Deliveries of the re-engined A320neo are still expected to begin this year, it adds, despite interruption of the flight-test programme affecting the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G-powered version, which kept the jets on the ground until the end of July.
Airbus is forecasting “slightly higher” deliveries this year and adds that the commercial order book is “expected to grow”.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
