Plane maker wants to avoid supply constraints it has suffered on smaller narrow-body model

LONDON—Airbus SE buoyed by its latest deal to sell wide-bodies to Air India Ltd., is planning to boost production rates of its two biggest models as it tries to capitalize on resurgent demand for long-haul travel, according to people familiar with the matter.

The European plane maker is planning to increase its so-called build rate for both of its currently produced wide-body aircraft, the A350 and the A330neo, according to these people. An announcement could come as early as this week, the people said, cautioning that a decision has yet to be finalized.

Airbus EADSY -0.44%decrease; red down pointing triangle slashed production of its wide-body planes at the onset of the pandemic, when travel restrictions and border closures brought international traffic to a near standstill and airlines were clamoring to cancel and defer aircraft orders.

With the relaxation of most Covid-19 travel protocols, airlines are now facing a dearth of available wide-body jets, leaving carriers trying to bring back into service previously mothballed models. Those include the Airbus A380, the world’s biggest passenger plane. Carriers are also trying to snatch up rentals from aircraft-leasing firms.

Excerpt from WSJ
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