Why Shares in Airbus Took Off Today

Shares in European aerospace giant Airbus (OTC: EADSY) rose by as much as 4% in early-morning trading today. The move follows the announcement that Vietnam's Vietjet airline has doubled its orders of wide-body Airbus A330neo aircraft to 40 from 20 during French President Macron's visit to the country.

Vietjet and Airbus

The airline already operates an all-Airbus fleet , comprising 116 narrow-body A320 family aircraft and seven wide-body A330s in operation. Therefore, the order isn't a new "logo" win for Airbus. Instead, it's an expansion of orders in the lucrative wide-body market: planes used for longer-haul flights.

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It's also a shot in the arm for Airbus' wide-body programs, notably the A330neo, which only had 82 orders in 2024, and just 10 orders in 2025 (from Saudi Group) in 2025 before the Vietjet order.

Airbus is typically seen as leading in the narrow-body market, not least due to Boeing's problems with the 737 MAX, but lagging its American rival in the wide-body market, where the 787 Dreamliner (the A330's primary competition) and the forthcoming 777X offer formidable competition.

Image source: Getty Images.

Where next for Airbus?

Airbus and Boeing continue to grapple with supply chain issues that pose potential restraints on production capacity, and there is a concern that extended delivery delays could lead airlines to forgo orders, particularly in the wide-body market. As such, the Vietjet order will help restore confidence in Airbus's order trajectory and, more importantly, airlines' willingness to place orders for aircraft in an uncertain trading environment.

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Lee Samaha has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.