Airbus deliveries down 50% as travel collapses

European plane maker Airbus saw its deliveries halve during the first six months of the year as travel collapsed during the pandemic and airlines scrounged for cash.

The company, based in France, said Thursday that its deliveries fell almost 50 per cent to 196, with revenue sliding almost 40 per cent to 18.9 billion euros.

It said it was further scaling back production of its A350 long-haul jet, from six a month to five, after trimming from nine a month in April.

“The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on our financials is now very visible,” said chief executive officer Guillaume Faury.