Airbus SE (EADSY) is hitting the brakes on its 2025 delivery plans after running into yet another problem with its workhorse A320 aircraft. The European aerospace manufacturer announced Wednesday that it now expects to deliver approximately 790 aircraft this year, down from the roughly 820 it had been targeting earlier.

The culprit? Quality issues with metal panels on some A320 fuselages, which the company traces back to supplier problems. It's the kind of manufacturing hiccup that sounds small but cascades into big consequences when you're trying to pump out hundreds of commercial jets.

Here's the silver lining: Airbus isn't changing its financial guidance despite the delivery shortfall. The company still expects adjusted EBIT of around 7.0 billion euros and free cash flow before customer financing of roughly 4.5 billion euros. Apparently, they're confident they can absorb the hit without blowing up their financial targets.

What's Wrong With the Fuselage?

Airbus identified problems with metal panels on certain A320 fuselages this week, though the company says it's got a handle on things now. "The source of the issue has been identified," an Airbus spokesperson told MarketDash. The issue is now contained, and "all newly produced panels conform to all requirements," according to the company.

That's reassuring, but it doesn't change the fact that the production line just hit a speed bump. When you're manufacturing aircraft at industrial scale, even a temporary quality control problem can throw off your entire delivery schedule for months.

The Recall That Came Before

This isn't the first time Airbus has dealt with A320 headaches recently. Last month, the company ordered urgent repairs for 6,000 aircraft in its widely used A320 fleet—a massive undertaking that affected planes across the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Latin America.

That recall was triggered by an October 30 incident involving a JetBlue (JBLU) A320 that experienced an unexpected loss of altitude due to a malfunction in its flight-control system. When something like that happens, regulators and manufacturers don't mess around. The result was a sweeping inspection and repair order that touched a significant chunk of the global A320 fleet.

So Airbus is dealing with back-to-back issues on what's supposed to be its most reliable, highest-volume product. Not exactly the year they were hoping for.

The Bigger Picture

Despite these setbacks, Airbus has been on solid financial footing. In October, the company reported steady growth through the first nine months of 2025, with consolidated revenue climbing 7% to 47.4 billion euros. Commercial aircraft revenue hit 33.9 billion euros on the strength of 507 deliveries during that period.

The company is scheduled to report November 2025 commercial aircraft orders and deliveries on December 5, which should give investors a clearer picture of how these fuselage issues are playing out in real time.

For now, Airbus seems to be managing the situation without panic. The delivery target is lower, but the financial guidance holds. The fuselage problem is contained, but the recall is still working its way through the system. It's a messy moment for what's usually a well-oiled operation, but the company appears confident it can navigate through without major financial damage.