Airbus has warned some airline customers about additional delivery delays affecting the A350 program later this decade, according to Reuters, as the European manufacturer continues to face supply-chain disruption tied to a recently acquired US factory.
Industry sources told Reuters that the delays are linked mainly to production difficulties involving critical fuselage components manufactured at the former Spirit AeroSystems site in Kinston, North Carolina.
The facility, which Airbus took over last year as part of the breakup of Spirit AeroSystems, produces composite fuselage panels and carbon-fiber wing spars for the A350 program. Reuters said the transition has been complicated by staffing issues, with some workers returning to Boeing-linked operations after the restructuring.
“The transition did not go smoothly,” one aerospace industry source told the news agency.
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Additional disruption has also reportedly affected cargo doors for the A350 Freighter, which are produced by Airbus in Spain.
Airbus declined to comment on delivery schedules, according to Reuters. The company said the first flight of the A350F remains expected later this year, with entry into service still targeted for 2027.
The A350 is Airbus’ largest widebody aircraft family and competes directly with Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner and 777X. The program includes the A350-900 passenger jet, the larger A350-1000 and the upcoming A350F cargo variant.
By the end of April, Airbus had secured 1,579 firm orders for the A350 family and delivered 714 aircraft, leaving a backlog of 865 jets still to be produced.
