Airbus deliveries down by one-third in 2020 over Covid

Airbus has published its delivery and orders figures for 2020, showing a considerable impact due to Covid-19.

The manufacturer delivered 566 commercial aircraft last year, down 34 percent on the 863 in 2019. However, Airbus said that the figure was "in line with the production adaptation plan set out in April 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.'

Net orders were also dropping by almost two thirds, from 863 in 2019 to just 268 in 2020. This net figure included 115 aircraft order cancellations last year.

Deliveries were declining across all aircraft families. Over a quarter of all deliveries went to the Asia-Pacific region, followed by Europe with just over 20 percent, and North America with 15 percent.

The firm said that over 25 percent of aircraft delivered last year were done so through a new "e-delivery solution," allowing customers to receive their plane "while minimizing the need for their teams to travel."

"Working hand-in-hand with our customers allowed us to navigate a difficult year," said Guillaume Faury, Airbus Chief Executive Officer.

"The Airbus teams, customers, and suppliers truly pulled together in the face of adversity to deliver this result. We also thank our partners and governments for their strong support for the sector.

"Based on our 2020 deliveries, we are cautiously optimistic as we look into 2021, although challenges and uncertainties remain high in the short term."