Airbus first-half profit climbs 85% to 1.5 billion euros

European aerospace group Airbus posted an 85 percent rise in first-half profit Wednesday to 1.5 billion euros, even though it delivered fewer commercial planes compared with the same period last year.

Citing "persistent engine supply issues" for its popular A320 jets, Airbus said 306 planes had been delivered overall in the first half, down from 323 in the first half of 2024.

It said it secured net orders for 402 aircraft in the first half up from 310 in the period last year, helping to push revenues up three percent to 29.6 billion euros.

The jump in profits came after Airbus reported a 46 percent slump in earnings for the first half of 2024.

Operating profit, which analysts often consider a better gauge of underlying business performance, rose 11 percent to 1.62 billion euros.

Looking ahead, Airbus said its targets did not exclude potential impact from the US tariffs being imposed by President Donald Trump, and it still expected to deliver 820 commercial aircraft this year.

"On tariffs, the recent political agreement between the EU and the US to revert to a zero-tariff approach for civil aircraft is a welcome development for our industry," chief executive Guillaume Faury said in a statement.