Barring widespread new travel upheaval, industry sources expect Airbus to deliver 550-560 planes in 2020 after it reached more than 520 this week, with nine days of the year still to go. But they cautioned deliveries are subject to an unusual number of variables and schedules are not set-in stone. Airbus is unlikely to repeat a record surge of more than 100 deliveries in December last year. After a year-long pause in A380 deliveries to Dubai, Airbus has delivered two A380s to Emirates this month, tracking data shows. It will end the year with three A380 deliveries after Japan’s ANA put a newly delivered plane into storage in October.
Airbus has halted initial assembly of the four-engine jet and has six left to deliver. Charter firm HiFly last week ended efforts to make profits out of a second-hand aircraft, meaning more A380s are seen likely to follow the ANA jet into storage. Total Airbus deliveries are expected to fall 35% this year due to the impact on airlines of the pandemic, but Airbus has an insurmountable lead over Boeing, which delivered 118 planes up to the end of November, with the 737 MAX grounded during that period. Industry sources say Airbus may reach an informal goal of 560 deliveries in 2020, though each delivery comes with uncertainty and some experts say 550 is a safer estimate.