Airbus is looking at delaying the A350 production ramp-up as sanctions on Russia and the dispute with Qatar Airways has weakened the model’s delivery prospects.
The manufacturer had already delayed its production ramp-up plan in early February. The target was to move from making five A350s per month to six by early 2023. Now, as reported by Bloomberg through sources inside the European conglomerate, the increase could be delayed until the end of 2023.
An Airbus spokesperson said that the manufacturer is still aiming to “increase the A350 production rate to about six in 2023,” without clarifying whether it would be in the first or second half of the year.
On the other hand, he confirmed that plans are on track to increase the production rate of A330 family aircraft to nearly three aircraft per month by the end of this year. The current production rate for the aircraft is around two units per month.
Western sanctions imposed on Russia are preventing the Toulouse-based manufacturer from delivering aircraft to Aeroflot, while the legal dispute with Qatar has put future deliveries to the Gulf carrier, one of its biggest customers, in doubt.
