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Airbus Q1 Profit Falls 52% on Lower Deliveries, But Orders Rise 46%
Airbus reported a sharp decline in first-quarter 2026 profits due to reduced aircraft deliveries and engine shortages. Competitors including Boeing, Adidas, AstraZeneca, Starbucks, Varonis Systems, and Sinopec showed varied results, with several posting revenue and profit increases. The reports highlight ongoing supply chain challenges and sector-specific demands.
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Airbus reported a 52% decline in first-quarter adjusted operating profit to 300 million euros from 624 million euros a year earlier, as commercial aircraft deliveries fell to 114 from 136 in the prior-year period. 58 billion euros, while earnings per share came in at 74 euro cents, surpassing the anticipated 44 euro cents.
Adjusted operating profit, however, fell short of the 378 million euros projected by FactSet analysts.
Airbus reiterated its plan to deliver 870 commercial aircraft in 2026, citing ongoing shortages of Pratt & Whitney engines. 'In commercial aircraft, we continue to ramp up and produce as per our plan while navigating the shortage of Pratt & Whitney engines,' stated Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury.
The company's commercial aircraft unit saw sales fall 11% year-over-year in the first quarter, while helicopters unit sales remained unchanged and defence and space unit sales grew 7%.
Total revenue declined 7% compared to the first quarter of the previous year. Airbus received gross commercial aircraft orders totaling 408, a 46% increase from the prior year. Boeing, Airbus' rival, reported a narrower-than-expected loss in the first quarter of 2026, following a fuselage door plug blowout in January 2024.
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg stated the company is not seeing a slowdown in aircraft orders since the war in the Middle East began in February 2026. UBS analysts noted limited impacts arising from the disruption around the Strait of Hormuz. Adidas reported strong first-quarter sales and profit in 2026, despite what it described as a very volatile market.
AstraZeneca reported rises in revenue and core earnings for the first quarter, attributing growth to increasing sales of its cancer and rare-disease drugs. Starbucks reported strong store traffic and a rise in quarterly sales for the first quarter of 2026. U.S.
