Pratt & Whitney Has Built Enough Engines for Airbus to Hit Its 2025 Delivery Target

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Pratt & Whitney is stepping up at a critical moment for Airbus. According to company officials, the engine maker has now delivered sufficient engines to Airbus for the rest of 2025 — aligning with Airbus’s ambitious delivery goal of 820 commercial aircraft for the year.

Despite lingering concerns over delays from engine suppliers, Airbus’s leadership and its powerhouse engine partner seem confident they can execute a delivery ramp in the second half of the year.

The Airbus Delivery Target: 820 Jets in 2025

Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury has repeatedly reaffirmed the company’s target of delivering 820 aircraft in 2025, which would represent a 7% growth over prior performance.

But that commitment comes amid a challenging supply-chain environment: around 60 completed airframes, known as “gliders,” are reportedly waiting for engines to be installed.

These gliders are essentially planes that are structurally complete but cannot be delivered until engines arrive.

Engine Supply Challenge: From CFM to Pratt & Whitney

Airbus has identified two key engine suppliers for its narrow-body A320neo family: CFM International (a joint venture of GE Aerospace and Safran) and Pratt & Whitney. While early 2025 saw significant bottlenecks from CFM, Airbus leadership has increasingly leaned on P&W to help close the gap.

In fact, Reuters reported that P&W is now part of the cause of the 60-unit glider backlog — but the partnership remains intact.

Airbus has said it remains “cautiously hopeful” that the engine supply will improve sufficiently for deliveries to pick up.

What Pratt & Whitney Is Saying

Pratt & Whitney’s leadership has been openly supportive of Airbus’s goals. Rick Deurloo, president of P&W Commercial Engines, told reporters that P&W is “aligned with deliveries” for the remainder of 2025.

According to Deurloo, Pratt & Whitney has already handed over the number of engines agreed upon with Airbus, and any further deliveries are effectively being banked for 2026.

In addition, Pratt & Whitney is projecting an 8–10% increase in its GTF (geared turbofan) engine production for 2025, according to statements by RTX leadership (the parent company of P&W). 

This ramp-up is being balanced carefully — P&W not only needs to supply Airbus, but also support the broader maintenance and service needs of its engine customers.

Why This Matters for Airbus & Its Customers

1. Meeting Production Goals

Engine availability is one of the most critical constraints for Airbus. Without engines, those glider aircraft can’t be delivered to customers. P&W stepping up helps ensure Airbus can convert its production into actual deliveries.

2. Strengthening Supply-Chain Resilience

Engine shortages have long been a pain point for aircraft builders. If P&W can deliver as promised, it reduces the risk that Airbus will be forced to slow down production or renegotiate orders.

3. Supporting Airline Customers

For airlines waiting on new jets, this is good news. Assurance of timely engine supply means they can take delivery, begin flying, and generate revenue — rather than being stuck with an undeliverable “glider.”

4. Strategic Signaling

P&W’s confidence sends a strong signal not just to Airbus, but to investors, lessors, and airlines that the GTF-powered Airbus aircraft remain a reliable and producible pathway forward.

Risks & Challenges Remain

That said, while things look promising, several risks could still derail full execution:

• Back-loaded Delivery Risk: Airbus has warned that many of its 2025 deliveries may be “back-loaded” — i.e., concentrated in the latter part of the year — to allow for engine ramp-up.

  
  

• Engine Quality & Repair Burden: GTF engines from P&W have had issues in recent years. Balancing new deliveries with repair demand is complex.

  
  

• Supply-Chain Constraints: Increasing production by 8–10% is ambitious, especially given labor, parts, and logistics constraints.

  
  

• Post-2025 Demand: While P&W confirms its 2025 alignment, it is also already in talks with Airbus for engine supply beyond 2025.

  
  

• Competition: Airbus still depends heavily on CFM for many of its engines; any hiccups there could reintroduce bottlenecks.

Broader Strategic Implications

For Pratt & Whitney

The ability to deliver enough engines to support Airbus’s ambitious goal enhances P&W’s standing in the competitive engine market. It also helps highlight its reliability and operational capacity at scale.

For Airbus

If Airbus meets its target, it would reinforce the company’s production strength, market demand, and credibility with airlines — all while navigating one of the toughest supply-chain environments in recent years.

For Airlines & Leasing Companies

Reliable engine supply offers airlines more confidence when placing new orders or accepting deliveries. Lessors may also benefit from increased aircraft flow and fewer stranded “gliders.”

For the Aerospace Industry

This development underlines the interdependence between aircraft OEMs and engine makers. Success hinges not just on manufacturing capacity, but on operational resilience and long-term partnerships.

What to Watch Next

• Public engine delivery figures from P&W and Airbus for Q4 2025

  
  

• Whether Airbus will reduce the glider backlog in the second half of the year

  
  

• Updates from RTX / P&W on production ramp and GTF health

  
  

• Ongoing discussions between Airbus and P&W for 2026–2028 supply via public statements

  
  

• Quarterly results from Airbus to confirm whether the 820-aircraft goal remains on track