Airbus Cuts 2025 Delivery Target After Supplier Panel Quality Failure

Airbus announced a revision to its 2025 commercial delivery plan after discovering defects in fuselage panels machined by Sofitec Aero, a Seville based supplier. The plan to deliver roughly 790 jets this year represents a cut of about 4 percent from the company’s earlier target, a reduction Airbus attributed to weak November deliveries as teams moved to inspect and, where necessary, repair affected components.

Airbus engineers identified anomalies in the thickness of fuselage panels following a stretching and milling process carried out by Sofitec Aero. The company said the issue is not being treated as an immediate safety risk because the parts can still withstand stresses beyond anticipated limits, but the defects prompted a fleet review that will affect hundreds of aircraft. Company materials presented to airlines showed 628 jets require inspection, including 168 already in service, 245 in final assembly and 215 in major component assembly.

The discovery intensified scrutiny from labour representatives in Seville who say they had raised concerns about quality controls and production traceability for more than a year. "We have been warning for over a year about possible quality issues," said Carlos Parra, organisation secretary at UGT FICA Seville. "In fact, it was our representatives who reported these anomalies." The union said its warnings about deficiencies in production processes and working conditions had been passed to Sofitec management, to Airbus, and to relevant official bodies.

Sofitec representatives did not respond to multiple requests for comment about the panel faults. Airbus said not all inspected aircraft would require remedial work and that the majority of panels were expected to meet specifications. Where repairs are required they could take weeks, the company warned, creating knock on effects for delivery timing and airline fleet plans.

The incident follows an emergency software recall for certain A320 flight control systems announced earlier this month, adding to pressure on Airbus to shore up confidence in its manufacturing chain and quality assurance. Despite the delivery cut, Airbus maintained its full year financial guidance, signaling management’s view that the financial impact can be absorbed within broader revenue and margin expectations.

Market implications are immediate and tangible. Airlines awaiting new A320 family aircraft face schedule uncertainty that could influence leasing decisions and short term capacity planning ahead of peak travel seasons. Suppliers in the European aerostructures ecosystem may face heightened audits and contract scrutiny as primes seek to reduce operational risk. For investors, the adjustment raises questions about production ramp rates and margins during a period when Airbus and Boeing are already contending with supply chain bottlenecks.

Longer term the episode highlights structural challenges in complex aerospace supply chains where traceability, worker conditions and process controls intersect with industrial scale production. Regulators in Europe and beyond may increase oversight, and carriers will press for clearer remediation timelines. For now Airbus must balance swift corrective action with the operational imperative to keep assembly lines moving and airline customers assured that safety and reliability remain intact.