Airbus asks suppliers to be ready to up output when market recovers

PARIS (Reuters) – Airbus has asked suppliers to be ready to support an increase in production of its best-selling single-aisle A320 jet family to 47 jets a month as early as the second half of 2020, the European planemaker said on Thursday.

“For the A320 family, we plan to maintain rate 40 until summer next year and we have asked the supply chain to protect rate 47 to be prepared for when the market recovers,” a spokesman said, confirming a Financial Times report, adding that no decision had been taken on whether to carry out the plan.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)