ISTANBUL (Reuters) – European aircraftmaker Airbus is seeing greater visibility on its forecast for industrial business as well as the start of a more positive trend in deliveries, chief commercial officer Christian Scherer said.

“The trend seems to be positive. We are seeing a steady increase in our ability to fly planes as they roll off the assembly line,” Christian Scherer told Reuters, adding that Airbus was fully focused on its operations after the crashes. recent supply chain disruptions.

“The industrial pace seems to be a little more predictable,” he said on the sidelines of the general assembly of the International Air Transport Association (Iata) in Istanbul.

Airbus deliveries for the month of May are on track to exceed 60 aircraft, Reuters reported on Thursday, up about 30% from the same period last year, bringing the total to more than 220 devices delivered since the beginning of the year.

Airbus is targeting 720 deliveries for the full year, implying a strong acceleration in deliveries after the summer. The company must publish on June 7 the figures for its orders and deliveries for the month of May.

The recent difficulties go beyond manufacturers and lie at the heart of the supply chain, which was disrupted by the “abrupt” industrial shutdown in 2020 with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, followed by a recovery equally sudden demand.

“The pulse wasn’t the same across the supply chain, but there seems to be more harmony today,” he commented.

Airbus and rival Boeing have blamed failing supply chains for recent aircraft delivery delays, with airlines and leasing companies complaining of erratic shifts in schedules.

Supply chains are expected to be one of the main topics discussed at Iata’s general assembly taking place June 4-6 in Istanbul.

(Report Tim Hepher; Kate Entringer)

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