Kevin Michaels, managing director of consultancy
AeroDynamic Advisory, said that while many suppliers are likely
already carrying additional inventory, many do not have the
working capital necessary to buy additional stock.
"Ultimately, working capital in sub-tier suppliers could
actually determine how many airplanes are going to get built,"
he said.
The comments came as Airbus is expected to announce a
flatter build-up in production with its earnings on Feb. 16,
after abandoning its 2022 delivery goals and encountering what
it has described as widespread delays in its supply chain.
Industry sources have said earlier plans for a sharp
increase in output rattled suppliers worried about being left
with surplus inventory and reluctant to carry surplus stock.
The United States is Airbus' single largest supplier, with
more than 2,000 U.S. companies located in about 40 states.
Last year, Airbus announced plans to build a second
A320neo-family assembly line in Mobile, Alabama.
Analysts at Bernstein on Wednesday lowered financial and
delivery forecasts for Airbus, but placed the main focus on
Europe, citing "new supplier challenges, particularly with
smaller European suppliers facing significant increases in
energy costs
It is not the first time Airbus has urged global suppliers
to carry an extra cushion of stocks.
In May 2021, Reuters reported that the company's procurement
chief had written to suppliers urging them to ensure parts were
ordered from sub-contractors on time and to implement "proper
buffers" of inventory to anticipate future output increases.
(Reporting by Valerie Insinna, Editing by Tim Hepher and Jamie
Freed)
