Irony Takes Flight : Airbus Grounded by a Lavatory Shortage

Airbus, Europe’s aviation giant, is facing a paradox more reminiscent of industrial comedy than high-tech manufacturing: its latest-generation aircraft, ready for takeoff, are grounded… for lack of toilets.

Christian Scherer, Airbus’s Chief Commercial Officer, summed it up with a wry smile during a press briefing held Tuesday in Toulouse: “You can’t really build an aircraft without toilets, can you?”

As amusing as the remark may seem, it highlights a very real and serious issue: the aircraft manufacturer is grappling with an unprecedented dual bottleneck—one involving both a shortage of engines and a lack of onboard lavatories.

A350s… Without Lavatories

The aircraft most affected by this peculiar shortfall are the A350s, Airbus’s flagship wide-body jets. “It’s a bit embarrassing to admit, but right now, the biggest bottleneck we’re facing on wide-body aircraft, especially the A350, is the toilets,” Scherer acknowledged. Dozens of completed aircraft are lined up on the tarmac, ready to fly, but unable to be delivered.

Without directly naming Safran, the supplier responsible for the aircraft’s sanitary systems, Scherer instead pointed to delays from CFM, a joint venture between Safran and U.S. company GE, criticizing the company for recurrent engine delivery setbacks and suggesting it was prioritizing airlines over manufacturers.

The result: around 40 aircraft are stuck in hangars, awaiting engines that have not arrived on schedule.

820 Deliveries by 2025: Toilets or Not

Despite the absurdity of the situation, Airbus is holding firm on its delivery targets. The company remains committed to delivering 820 aircraft by the end of 2025. “We haven’t changed our delivery forecast,” Scherer insisted, cautioning against drawing premature conclusions from what he described as a “sluggish” start to the year.

If not for the engine delays, he added, “our delivery performance would actually be slightly ahead of forecasts, which shows that the overall health of the ecosystem has improved significantly.” In other words, the main issues still lie with suppliers—especially CFM—though Airbus claims the relationship has become “much more mature and professional.”

A Supply Chain Still Under Strain

This episode once again highlights the chronic fragility of the aerospace supply chain, where even the smallest weak link—whether turbines or toilets—can trigger a cascading effect across the entire production timeline.

Airbus narrowly missed its delivery targets in 2024, salvaged only at the last minute by increased logistical support from Safran late in the year.

But ongoing delays in 2025 show that stability remains elusive, despite improved coordination efforts.

When Airbus is forced to postpone deliveries of dozens of A350s not because of faulty software or exotic materials, but because of lavatories and engines, it speaks volumes about the logistical challenges that continue to weigh down the industry.

A toilet shortage in aerospace? It may sound like a joke, but it’s a very real issue—one likely to make the rounds behind the scenes at the upcoming Paris Air Show, running from June 16 to 22.