Airbus has today released its aircraft order and delivery report for the first half of 2020. Altogether, there were 196 deliveries and 298 net orders during this period. Additionally, there were 36 deliveries in June, which is a slight increase compared to 24 in May and 14 in April.

Comparing numbers

According to the report, the H1 2020 deliveries are split between the following:

• 11 A220s
• 157 A320 family aircraft
• Five A330s
• 23 A350s

Meanwhile, the total number of 298 net commercial aircraft orders is lower than the 389 that the manufacturer achieved in the first half of 2019.

The company shares that the global health crisis is behind this considerable drop in numbers compared to this time last year. The coronavirus pandemic has rocked the world’s aviation markets, forcing most carriers to ground a large number of their planes.

Therefore, over the last few months, several airlines have been trying to push back deliveries and cancel orders. Moreover, the situation had also caused Airbus to halt production while it tried to get to grips with the climate.

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Diverse customers

Nonetheless, there have been some improvements this month following the initial impact of the virus. In June, Airbus delivered 31 A320neo family aircraft. These handovers include the first A320neo to China Express and the first A321neo to VivaAerobús. Air Canada was also provided with an A220-300.

When it comes to widebodies, there were four deliveries of the A350-900. Two of these long-haul jets were given to Iberia while Air France and SAS also took one each.

The firm's delivery backlog of aircraft remaining to be delivered as of June 30th stands at 7,584 planes. This figure is divided between the following:

• 526 A220s
• 6,168 A320 family aircraft (including 6,108 A320neo family planes)
• 321 A330s (including 286 of the A330neo family)
• 560 A350 XWBs
• Nine A380s

The challenge continues

Despite the progress in completed deliveries, there has not been much movement when it comes to new business. Ultimately, Airbus registered no new orders last month. With operators still analyzing the ever-changing climate, this result does not come as a surprise. Demand is hard to predict right now as authorities continue to amend their policies when it comes to tackling the virus.

Airbus is fully aware of these concerns, and as a result, it announced last month that it will be laying off approximately 15,000 members of staff. It is expecting to complete these layoffs no later than the summer of next year.

Nonetheless, today's delivery results offer a glimmer of hope during a troubling time across the industry. As flight activity is slowly resuming across the globe, the company will be hoping that numbers continue to pick up into the second half of 2020.

What are your thoughts about Airbus' results for the first half of this year? Do you see these figures continuing throughout the year? Let us know what you think in the comment section.