How Many A350s Does Airbus Build Annually?

The Airbus A350 features many improvements over previous-generation passenger widebody aircraft. This has led to the aircraft becoming highly popular among airlines, pilots, and passengers alike. Thanks to its technologically advanced design and the best range performance in the world, it is currently the most desirable plane for long-haul routes.

While many airlines have ordered the A350, Airbus can only manufacture so many of this family of aircraft. According to Airbus, since its manufacturing began in 2010, a total of 674 A350s had been produced as of August this year. This article describes how many A350s are built each year, along with other contemporary Airbus and Boeing aircraft, and also investigates whether the manufacturer is keeping up with demand.

May 2025 Production Rates

According to a forecast and analysis of Airbus and Boeing aircraft production seen at Flight Plan, Airbus had set a monthly target for May to produce six A350 aircraft. Unfortunately for the manufacturer, and surely the customer airlines on the A350 backlog list, the manufacturer only produced one singular A350. The A350 backlog of 761 currently exceeds the number of A350s in use, so the pressure is on for Airbus to start making significant progress in this area.

In late 2023, Airbus set a goal to increase A350 production to ten aircraft per month by 2026 and to twelve per month by 2028, according to Aviation Week, with production expected to return to pre-pandemic levels by that time. However, supply chain issues have continued to persist, and the low monthly production is the result. In February, the manufacturer made an announcement that A350 output would be limited to six aircraft per month throughout 2025, according to Reuters.

It is a fact that production numbers can vary from month to month. An example is the A320neo family production numbers from 2024, in which Airbus sharply increased production in the fourth quarter. 64 aircraft were delivered in October, 84 in November, and 123 in December, averaging to around 40 to 45 aircraft per month for 2024, or 510 A320neos per year. Therefore, should Airbus hit its groove towards the end of the year and meet the revised production estimate of six per month, 72 A350s are expected to be produced in 2025.

A350 Production Was Worse Than Forecast

According to Flight Plan, Forecast International expected the production of commercial passenger aircraft to stagnate due to supply chain constraints, and predicted that the May 2025 deliveries from Airbus would reach no higher than 47. This was fewer than the 56 aircraft delivered in April and the 71 delivered in March. The prediction ended up being spot-on, as Airbus produced 51 aircraft, delivering 47 finished aircraft.

For the A350 specifically, Forecast International predicted that Airbus would deliver four finished aircraft, but clearly, the manufacturer could not clear some hurdles that were encountered, as it only produced one. The following are predicted delivery numbers versus the numbers of aircraft produced (not delivered) for the month of May, featuring Airbus and Boeing passenger jetliners currently in production:

Judging from the figures above, the A350 is not the only Airbus aircraft to be suffering due to supply chain issues, as the A220, a narrowbody aircraft that began production in 2018, is also falling below predicted levels. On the other hand, the A320neo production appears not to be suffering as much. This is likely because the A320neo is just the latest model in a series of A320 variations, and shares many parts with its predecessors, while the A220 and A350 were both clean-sheet designs.

The A350, According To Pilots And Passengers

There are reasons why the A350 is so in-demand, making it desirable for airlines. For example, the aircraft can carry 300 to 410 passengers in typical three-class configurations, and up to 480 passengers in a single-class layout. This allows airlines to fly densely populated routes. The A350 is also very efficient, thanks to aerodynamic improvements, improved turbofan engines, and generous use of light composite materials, giving the A350 a 25% fuel burn per seat reduction compared to the 777-300ER, as reported by Reuters.

For airlines, this efficiency translates to lower operating costs per mile, and the 9,700 nautical mile range of the A350 opens up the possibility of very distant airports being connected, allowing more varied and convenient routes to be offered to passengers. Cathay Pacific is one such airline, which reaps the benefits of flying a fleet of 30 A350-900s and 18 A350-1000s. According to Cathay Pacific Captain Evan Summerfield, the A350’s speed and noise level are also standout areas:

“The Airbus A350 is noticeably quieter than other aircraft in the cruise, […] on the flight deck you can talk at normal conversation levels. It’s quiet for passengers too – and this is great because one of the things that adds to jet lag and fatigue is noise. Reduce the noise, and you ‘arrive in better shape’, to use an old Cathay Pacific slogan.”

“The Airbus A350 travels a lot faster than most of the widebody planes flying at the moment. It’s faster than both the Boeing 777 and the Airbus A330. […] Speed is good because you’re spending less time in the aircraft by covering the same ground in a quicker time.”

Passengers who flew onboard the A350 also had good things to say about the noise level, and the cabin may well be the quietest in the world. However, there were also some good things said about the spaciousness of the cabin, as seen on a Reddit thread asking for opinions of the plane. This is one of the advantages of widebody aircraft compared to narrowbodies, as there is more room to design comfortable seating layouts for passengers:

“Comfortable, spacious, quiet. Prefer it to the 787 for long haul – it’s pokey and cramped by comparison. Still prefer an A380 for the novelty, and the 777 is just cool but if you want a peaceful and comfortable flight, nothing beats the A350.”

“I’ve always been a 787 fanboy for long haul flights, but had the pleasure of taking an A350 long haul from KUL -> DOH, and right after that had a flight from DOH -> SEA on a 777. After that back-to-back comparison, I think it is now my favorite plane. I couldn’t believe how quiet the cabin was, and I never realized how tiring sound pollution can be on a long haul flight.”

Have Manufacturers Met Their Targets?

Taking a broader look at whether the largest two passenger airliner manufacturers have kept up to date with their most recent production goals, the report from Flight Plan reveals that Airbus is further behind schedule than its competitor, Boeing. Only the A220 met or exceeded Airbus’ goal of six-to-eight aircraft, with eight examples produced. The A320neo, which was not predicted to have production go quite as smoothly, fell short of expectations by 11 aircraft.

The A330neo missed the mark by a hair, as seen below, and the much-desired A350 fell short by five, as mentioned earlier. The A350F, the freight variant of the aircraft, is also suffering delays. Boeing, on the other hand, met production goals overall, producing one fewer 767 than the three intended, and one more A330neo than the manufacturer’s target. However, according to Flight Plan, Boeing may be running on fumes, or in this case, existing inventory, and the manufacturer may not yet have felt the squeeze of constricting supply chains.

For Airbus, the specific issue slowing production appears to be engine parts, as the manufacturer has produced a number of ‘glider’ aircraft, which are otherwise complete, but without engines. These may make up the discrepancy of four represented in the 51 aircraft produced and the 47 delivered. As these units have been parked until the necessary parts arrive, taking up as much space as a completed unit, this also has the potential to slow down other ongoing operations.

Will Airbus Be Able To Catch Up?

According to Flight Plan, the expectation from Forecast International varies from plane to plane whether Airbus will be able to reach monthly or yearly production targets. In the case of the A220, the program is showing encouraging signs of remaining stable, supporting a case for a gradual increase in output later in the year. In the case of the A320neo, stagnation looks likely to continue, and the manufacturer is unlikely to reach its goal of raising A320neo production to 75 aircraft per month by 2027.

As for the A330neo, meeting production targets appears to be in reach, and Airbus stated during its first quarter 2025 earnings call that it is focused on stabilizing output at four aircraft per month. Finally, regarding the A350, Forecast International is doubtful that Airbus will be able to reach its revised target of six aircraft per month by the end of 2025, let alone its annual production goal.

Thanks to its powerful modern engines, the A350 appears to be the most dependent on the supply chain, and as the supply chain issue is showing few signs of improving any time soon, neither will A350 production. Despite Cathay Pacific’s love of the A350, they have recently invested in 14 Boeing 777-9s, perhaps in acknowledgment of the long wait for Airbus aircraft.