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Extraordinary dividend for Airbus shareholders in light of the better than forecast results for the 2023 financial year closed with an operating profit of 5.8 billion euros (+4%) against an increase in revenues of 11% to 65 .4 billion euros supported by record aircraft orders. The group posted net profit down 11% to 3.789 billion euros. The space and defense division, which recorded a loss of 200 million euros, weighs on the results.
For 2024, Airbus expects the delivery of approximately 800 aircraft, a higher level than achieved in 2023 with 735 aircraft delivered to customers (68 A220s, 571 A320 family, 32 A330s, 64 A350s) despite difficulties in the supplier chain. At the beginning of 2023 the manufacturer had expected the delivery of 720 aircraft. Operating profit for the current year is also expected to grow between 6.5 billion euros and 7 billion euros.
Delivery of the long-range A321XLR will be delayed by a few weeks in the third quarter, Airbus said, due to complexities related to certification of the program.
Airbus has proposed a dividend of 1.8 euros per share to which it has added an extraordinary dividend of one euro since net liquidity has exceeded the threshold of 10 billion euros (10.4 billion euros), a target beyond which the possibility of returning liquidity to shareholders had been envisaged.
«In 2023 we saw strong order intake across all our businesses and delivered on our commitments. This was a significant achievement given the complexity of the operating context,” said Guillaume Faury, CEO of Airbus.