Photo: Airbus

Airbus Defence and Space saw a double-digit boost in order intake in 2021 compared to 2020, but also reported a slight dip in revenues for the year. The company released its full year 2021 financial results on Thursday.

Revenues for Airbus Defence and Space were down 2% in 2021 compared to 2020, due to the Military Aircraft business, partially offset by Space Systems. The segment reported 10.2 billion euro ($11.6 billion) in revenue in 2021, compared to $10.4 billion euro in 2020. 

Defence and Space order intake for the year was 13.7 billion ($15.6 billion) in 2021, up 15% from the year prior. Total orders stand at 36.1 billion euro ($41 billion). This includes orders in the Military Aircraft business such as the in-service support of the German and Spanish Eurofighter fleets and export momentum for the C295, A330 MRTT and A400M airlifter. This compares to the 39% YoY increase in net order intake the Defence and Space segment reported in 2020. 

Airbus overall saw a large increase in order intake during 2021, with overall order intake up 86%. The company reported consolidated revenues of 52.1 billion ($59.2 billion) in 2021, an increase of 4% over 2020. The revenue increase was driven by commercial aircraft deliveries. Net income was 4.2 billion euros ($4.8 billion). 

Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury said the company shifted from navigating the pandemic in 2021 toward recovery and growth. 

“The strong financials reflect the higher number of commercial aircraft deliveries, the good performance of our Helicopters and Defence and Space businesses as well as our efforts on cost containment and competitiveness. Record net income and our efforts to strengthen the net cash position underpin our proposal to reintroduce dividend payments going forward,” Faury said.