At the Aviation Summit in Berlin, Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury discussed the supply chain challenges in the post-Covid environment. Despite these difficulties, the company is maintaining its production target of 75 A320 aircraft per month, its best-seller. Faury spoke of airlines' frustration at delivery delays, which force them to keep older aircraft in service.

He admitted that, although air traffic has returned to pre-pandemic levels, the rate of delivery of new aircraft is still a long way off the 2018 and 2019 figures. The CEO underlined Airbus' commitment to supporting its suppliers in the face of labour, financial and cost inflation challenges.

Looking ahead, Airbus plans to integrate hydrogen-powered aircraft into its fleet and launch an upgraded version of the A320 by 2035.

In conclusion, Faury spoke about competition in the aerospace industry, recognising the potential of China, which already accounts for 20% of the global market. With the entry into service of the Comac 919, China could become an even more serious competitor. Faury stressed the importance of Europe maintaining its competitiveness.

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