Airbus has released its financial results for the first nine months of 2026, showcasing a significant increase in revenue and net profit. The aerospace giant reported a consolidated revenue of €50.645 billion, marking a 7% year-on-year increase. This growth was underpinned by the successful delivery of 547 commercial aircraft during the period.
Key Financial Highlights
The company’s adjusted earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) rose by 8% to €4.495 billion. Reported EBIT saw a more substantial jump of 35%, reaching €4.550 billion. Net profit surged by an impressive 36% to €3.587 billion, with earnings per share standing at €4.54.
These figures reflect Airbus’s robust performance in a dynamic market. The company has maintained its full-year financial guidance, indicating confidence in continued growth and operational efficiency.
Order Book and Deliveries
Airbus secured a total of 1174 commercial aircraft orders in the first nine months of 2026. After accounting for cancellations, the net order intake was 1105 aircraft, a notable increase compared to the 610 net orders received in the same period of 2025. As of September 30, 2026, the company’s backlog for commercial aircraft stood at an impressive 9310 units.
The helicopter division also saw healthy activity, with 311 net orders and a backlog of 1122 units. In the defense and space sector, new orders amounted to €11.5 billion, up from €6.8 billion in the prior year.
Deliveries of commercial aircraft totaled 547 units, an increase from 507 in the same period last year. This fleet comprised 68 A220 family aircraft, 428 A320 family jets, 13 A330 family planes, and 38 A350 family aircraft. The commercial aircraft division’s revenue grew by 8% to €36.665 billion, driven by higher delivery volumes and increased service revenues, although this growth was partially offset by a weaker US dollar.
Divisional Performance
The helicopter division delivered 226 units, slightly up from 218 in the previous year, with revenues remaining stable at €5.646 billion. However, adjusted EBIT for this segment decreased to €445 million from €495 million year-on-year.
Airbus’s defense and space business reported a 5% increase in revenue, reaching €9.341 billion. Its adjusted EBIT improved significantly, growing to €672 million from €420 million in the prior year, attributed to increased business volume and enhanced profitability.
Production Planning
Airbus reaffirmed its production rate targets. The A220 family is slated to reach a production rate of 13 aircraft per month by 2028. The A320 family is expected to achieve 70-75 aircraft per month by the end of 2027, stabilizing at 75 per month thereafter. The A330 family is targeted for a rate of 5 aircraft per month by 2029, and the A350 family is planned to reach 12 aircraft per month by 2028.
Cash Flow and Financial Outlook
Free cash flow before customer financing was negative €1.268 billion for the first nine months, a decrease from negative €914 million in the prior year. Consolidated free cash flow was negative €1.108 billion. The company attributed the cash outflow primarily to changes in working capital, including increased inventory to manage year-end delivery peaks and investments for planned capacity ramp-ups.
As of September 30, 2026, Airbus’s total cash position stood at €21.9 billion, with a net cash position of €7 billion. Both figures are lower than at the end of 2025.
For the full year 2026, Airbus maintains its guidance of delivering approximately 870 commercial aircraft and achieving an adjusted EBIT of around €7.5 billion. The company also anticipates a free cash flow before customer financing of approximately €4.5 billion. This outlook is contingent on the absence of further disruptions in global trade, the economy, air transport, supply chains, and internal operations, and takes into account current tariffs.
