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Airbus A350 at Toulouse (September 2019)
Photo: Regis Duvignau/ REUTERS
The world's largest aircraft manufacturer, Airbus, made the highest profit in its history in the second corona year, 2021.
Thanks to an increased number of deliveries and savings, the surplus of 4.2 billion euros exceeded the previous record profit of 2018, as the Dax group announced.
Airbus has thus overcome a phase of high losses.
In 2019 and 2020, the group had to cope with deficits in the billions, first due to a penalty for allegations of corruption, then because of the corona crisis and the loss of thousands of jobs.
Shareholders are now to receive a dividend again after it was canceled twice in a row.
A distribution of EUR 1.50 per share is planned.
This year, Airbus intends to significantly ramp up aircraft production again after the cuts in the pandemic - and to achieve even higher surpluses.
The delivery of around 720 commercial aircraft is planned;
last year there were 611. However, the previous record level of 2019, when the group delivered more than 860 machines, would not be reached.
Earnings before interest, taxes and special effects - the so-called adjusted EBIT - should reach 5.5 billion euros in the current year.
Last year it almost tripled to almost 4.9 billion euros, exceeding the target of the Board of Management and the expectations of experts.
Airbus needs the money to invest in its long-term projects.
The main focus is on the first hydrogen-powered passenger aircraft, which the manufacturer plans to launch by 2035.
In addition, Airbus is expanding the production of the popular medium-haul jets of the A320neo family.
It is expected to grow from the level of around 45 machines per month, which was throttled due to the crisis, to 65 per month by mid-2023.
That would be more than before the crisis.
Management is planning a further increase to up to 75 machines by 2025.
fdi/dpa
