Airbus net profit hits €1.5b in H1

Dhaka: Airbus reported an 85pc rise in first-half net profit on Wednesday (July30) to €1.5 billion, recovering sharply from a weak performance a year earlier, despite delivering fewer commercial aircraft due to ongoing supply chain disruptions.

The European aerospace group cited “persistent engine supply issues” affecting its A320 narrowbody jets, which contributed to a decline in deliveries to 306 aircraft in the first six months of 2025, down from 323 in the same period last year.

Revenue rose 3pc year-on-year to €29.6 billion, supported by stronger demand. Net aircraft orders rose to 402 in the first half, up from 310 a year ago, as airlines continued to refresh fleets amid sustained travel demand.

The profit rebound comes after Airbus posted a 46pc slump in first-half earnings in 2024, when output and supply chains were more severely constrained.

Operating profit, which analysts often consider a better gauge of underlying business performance, rose 11 percent to 1.62 billion euros.

Looking ahead, Airbus said its targets did not exclude potential impact from the US tariffs being imposed by President Donald Trump, and it still expected to deliver 820 commercial aircraft this year.

"On tariffs, the recent political agreement between the EU and the US to revert to a zero-tariff approach for civil aircraft is a welcome development for our industry," chief executive Guillaume Faury said in a statement. 

-B