Aircraft manufacturer Airbus soars to record year as financials and orders take off

Source: The Business Desk     Author: Neil Hodgson

All key financial measures at Airbus SE showed improvement during its record 2025 financial year, the group revealed today (February 19).

The aircraft manufacturer employs around 4,500 staff at its Broughton plant, near Chester, where it makes wings for all its commercial aircraft, and more than 2,700 staff in Filton, Bristol, where it designs wings, landing gear and fuel systems.

Its consolidated results show revenues of €73.4bn, up six per cent on the previous year, EBIT (earnings before interest and tax) of €6,082bn, a 15% improvement, net income of €5.221bn, up 23%, net cash of €12.171bn, which is four per cent ahead of the previous year, and a seven per cent increase in the dividend of €3.20.

The gross cash position stood at €27.2bn at the end of 2025, up from €26.9bn.

The total number of group-wide staff also increased during the year, by five per cent to 165,294.

The group’s huge order intake grew in value by 19% to €123.261bn-worth of production.

The company’s 2026 guidance, before mergers and acquisitions and including the impact of currently applicable tariffs, is targeting around 870 commercial aircraft deliveries, an adjusted EBIT of around €7.5bn and free cash flow, before customer financing, of around €4.5bn.

Gross commercial aircraft orders totalled 1,000 (2024: 878 aircraft) with net orders of 889 aircraft after cancellations (2024: 826 aircraft).

The order backlog amounted to a year-end record of 8,754 commercial aircraft at the end of 2025.

Airbus Helicopters registered net orders totalling 536 units (2024: 450 units), with a book-to-bill ratio above one both in units and value, reflecting strong momentum in particular for military markets.

Order intake by value at Airbus Defence and Space increased to a record €17.7bn (2024: €16.7bn), corresponding to a book-to-bill of around 1.3.

The group said A220 production ramp-up is ongoing and still paced by the integration of Spirit AeroSystems work packages and the balance between supply and demand.

As Airbus continues to make tactical adjustments on this ramp-up trajectory, it is now targeting a rate of 13 aircraft a month for the A220 programme in 2028.

On the A320 Family, engine maker Pratt & Whitney’s failure to commit to the number of engines ordered by Airbus is negatively impacting this year’s guidance and the ramp-up trajectory.

As a consequence, the company now expects to reach a rate of between 70 and 75 aircraft a month by the end of 2027, stabilising at rate 75 thereafter.

Airbus continues to target rate five for the A330 programme in 2029 and rate 12 for the A350 programme in 2028.

Guillaume Faury, Airbus chief executive, said: “2025 was a landmark year, characterised by very strong demand for our products and services across all businesses, a record financial performance, and strategic milestones.