Airbus targets near-doubling of profit by 2029, launches €5B buyback

Airbus unveiled an ambitious mid-term financial outlook on Tuesday, setting a 2029 adjusted operating profit target of €12 billion to €13 billion and announcing a €5 billion share buyback programme over three years, as the world's largest planemaker signaled confidence in its ability to sharply increase earnings amid ongoing supply-chain challenges.

The targets, presented at the company's 2026 Business Update in London hosted by CEO Guillaume Faury and CFO Thomas Toepfer, would represent a near-doubling from the €7.13 billion in adjusted earnings before interest and taxes Airbus generated in 2025. The company's 2026 EBIT target stands at approximately €7.5 billion.money.usnews+1

Commercial Aircraft to Drive Growth

Airbus said its commercial aircraft division alone was expected to generate around €10 billion in operating profit by 2029, according to presentation slides shared at the event. The outlook assumes a euro-to-dollar exchange rate of 1.22.investing+1

The targets are underpinned by plans to increase aircraft production to meet strong airline demand. Airbus delivered 351 jets in the first half of 2026, up roughly 15% from 306 in the same period a year earlier. Faury told CNBC on Sunday that deliveries were "consistent with" the company's full-year target of 870 aircraft, though Reuters reported earlier this month that the company had set an internal goal of exceeding 900 deliveries for the first time.reuters+2

Buyback and Guidance

The board-approved €5 billion buyback will be executed by management over three years, subject to continued shareholder approval. Airbus also reiterated a cash conversion target of around 1 over a five-year horizon.investing

The company left its 2026 guidance unchanged, noting that its outlook assumes no additional disruptions to global trade, stable tariff regimes, and no impact from potential mergers and acquisitions. Airbus did not provide a medium-term profit target at its previous business update a year ago, making Tuesday's disclosure its first multi-year earnings framework since the pandemic.globalbankingandfinance+1

Supply-Chain Backdrop

The outlook comes as Airbus navigates persistent engine shortages and supplier quality issues that forced it to cut its 2025 delivery target to around 790 aircraft late last year. Engine supplies have since stabilized, Faury said, and S&P Global Ratings upgraded Airbus to A+ in late June, citing improving operational performance.reuters+2

Shares rose 3.4% in New York trading on Tuesday following the announcement.investing