Airbus Orders Surge, Aftermarket Consolidates

Airlines are betting big on the future, locking in jet orders for the 2030s even as they scramble to meet travel demand now. Airbus is on a hot streak—racking up 150 new A220 orders from AirAsia, eyeing a stretched model with up to 200 seats, and pulling its used-parts supply chain in-house. This isn’t just about selling airplanes; it’s about controlling the entire lifecycle, from storage to repair to global parts sales. With Satair acquiring Unical and ecube, Airbus is consolidating the used serviceable parts market, promising better reliability for airlines but squeezing out the third-party brokers who once played middleman.

But here’s the catch: while Airbus is ramping up, its rivals aren’t standing still. Lufthansa is locking in widebody deliveries from both Airbus and Boeing into the 2030s, hedging against supply chain risks and program delays by splitting orders. Boeing, meanwhile, is solidifying MAX orders now and quietly sketching a new narrowbody jet for the mid-2030s, all while navigating the certification maze for its 777-9. And then there’s the wildcard—eVTOLs like those from Archer and Joby, aiming for FAA approval and real flights by 2026, possibly debuting around the LA Olympics.

Featuring reporting from Reuters, Skift, and Lufthansa Group Newsroom.

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