Airbus has revealed the scale of the production problems inherited from Spirit AeroSystems that contributed to recent A350 delivery delays, with output of critical fuselage components falling by more than half from pre-pandemic levels.
CEO Guillaume Faury said during Airbus’ nine-month results conference call that the operation previously supported production of close to 10 A350s per month, but its capacity deteriorated substantially after the Covid-19 pandemic.
“At some point, they went below four,” Faury said. Airbus now needs the operation to support 12 A350s per month by 2028, effectively tripling output from its lowest level.
The problem involves Section 15, a major composite section of the A350 fuselage. Components are produced at the former Spirit facility in Kinston, North Carolina, before being sent to Saint-Nazaire, France, for further assembly.
Airbus acquired the two operations from Spirit AeroSystems in December 2025 and has since been investing to recover production capacity.
Critical supplier for A350 production
Problems at Kinston were already affecting A350 deliveries before Airbus took control of the operation. The manufacturer warned customers earlier this year that shortages of fuselage components would cause additional delays.
Faury’s comments now provide a measure of how much production capacity had been lost. An operation that once supported close to 10 A350s per month was producing fewer than four at its lowest point, just as Airbus was preparing for a major increase in widebody production.
Airbus plans to reach 12 A350s per month in 2028 and has already indicated that strong demand could eventually require an even higher rate. Recovering the former Spirit operation is therefore necessary not only to eliminate the current bottleneck but also to support the planned expansion.
The manufacturer had 887 A350s awaiting delivery at the end of September. At a rate of 12 aircraft per month, the existing backlog alone represents more than six years of production, without considering additional orders received during that period.
Airbus received 95 net orders for the A350 family during the first nine months of 2026 while delivering 38 aircraft, increasing the backlog by 57 jets since the beginning of the year.
Restoring the former Spirit operations is also carrying a financial cost. Airbus said the acquired activities reduced adjusted operating profit by €235 million (US$273 million) during the first nine months of 2026.
Faury described Section 15 as being on the critical path for the A350 production increase and said Airbus is investing in the operation to bring capacity back to the level required by the program.
