Airbus has halved, the last three months, the number of engineless aircraft for which it has been forced to postpone delivery owing to a powerplant shortfall.

The number of so-called ‘gliders’ had reached a peak of around 60 in June.

Speaking during a third-quarter briefing on 29 October, Airbus chief executive Guillaume Faury said there were “signs of recovery” in the engine situation.

Faury says there is still a “significant” number of aircraft awaiting engines – contributing to backloaded deliveries – but the figure fell to 32 at the end of September, “roughly half” the level of the previous quarter.

He says the airframer is continuing to work closely with engine manufacturers regarding meeting engine supply commitments for the full year.

Faury acknowledges that the company was still experiencing delays from both CFM International and Pratt & Whitney at the end of the third quarter, by which point it had delivered 392 A320neo-family jets.

He says the company intends to bring the number of ‘gliders’ to “zero, or close to zero” by the year-end.

But he states that there is “much more to be done” in order for Airbus to achieve its target of 820 commercial aircraft deliveries.

“We still need to receive engines in the weeks to come to be fully sure that we’ll have what we need,” says Faury, but adds that the powerplant manufacturers have confirmed that they will deliver what the company needs to meet its delivery objective.