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A new aircraft is not ready for airline service the moment it leaves the factory. Delivery is a technical and contractual handover: the customer checks the aircraft against the agreed specification, completes acceptance checks and documentation, takes ownership under the deal, and arranges a flight to the airline’s base. The operator then has separate work to do before the aircraft is ready for scheduled service.
What counts as an aircraft delivery?
Delivery is the point at which the manufacturer completes the agreed handover to its customer. The customer may be the airline that will operate the aircraft, or a leasing company that will own it and lease it to the airline. Airbus says its delivery phase typically takes four or five days, depending on aircraft type; that describes the handover phase, not the full time from production to passenger service. Airbus’s delivery overview outlines the sequence.
Production tests and customer acceptance are distinct. The manufacturer completes its production and test processes before the customer conducts its own checks at handover. The agreed aircraft configuration and delivery date stem from the customer-manufacturer agreement, and the customer’s experts check conformity with the contracted specification before formally signing for title transfer.
What happens between production and handover?
1. The customer checks the aircraft
Customer acceptance combines inspection on the ground with a flight. Airbus describes visual checks of exterior surfaces and paint, bays and cabin, as well as static systems, the cockpit and engines. On the acceptance flight, the customer checks systems—including cabin systems—and how the aircraft behaves across its flight envelope.
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2. Open issues are resolved
If the checks identify technical or quality discrepancies, the manufacturer provides physical rework or another solution as needed. The remedy, timing and any commercial consequences depend on the issue and the contract; not every discrepancy necessarily delays delivery.
3. Technical documents are completed
After the checks, the parties sign documents that show compliance with the applicable type certificate and conformity to the aircraft’s technical specifications. Airbus says this documentation enables issuance of a Certificate of Airworthiness. Certification steps and responsible authorities vary by aircraft and jurisdiction, so there is no single checklist that applies worldwide.
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4. Ownership transfers and the aircraft is ferried
Title transfer is a contractual step, and its precise timing and relationship to payment depend on the transaction. Airbus describes ownership transfer and preparation for a ferry flight as the final steps in its delivery process. A ferry flight moves the aircraft to its home base; it is not an ordinary scheduled passenger service.
Who buys the aircraft, and how is it financed?
The airline may buy directly, or a lessor may own the aircraft and lease it to the airline. Boeing Customer Finance’s 2026 H1 finance outlook discusses leasing, bank financing, capital markets, export credit and sale-leaseback arrangements. It scopes its methodology to new commercial aircraft with at least 90 seats and says financing mixes vary by region, aircraft type, customer and jurisdiction.
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That outlook is Boeing’s market assessment, not a universal rulebook. The purchase or lease structure does not, by itself, establish who operates the ferry flight. The parties’ arrangements determine how the aircraft is funded, who holds title, and how it is collected and delivered to the operator.
Does delivery mean the aircraft can carry passengers?
No. Handover and entry into service are related but separate milestones. Before operating scheduled flights, the airline needs operational readiness that can include materials, tools, spare parts, manuals, training, maintenance arrangements and flight-operations preparation. Airbus describes these activities in its entry-into-service preparation overview. A delivery announcement alone does not establish when the aircraft will first carry passengers.
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How can acceptance and certification differ?
The broad handover sequence can be described, but the detailed acceptance protocol and certification path depend on the aircraft, agreement and regulator. For example, Boeing’s account of undelivered 737 MAX aircraft described flight-critical ground tests, Boeing and customer test flights, a detailed customer inspection and individual FAA reviews before an airworthiness certificate. That was a specific protocol for a particular aircraft type and regulatory circumstance—not a universal process for every aircraft or authority. Boeing’s 737 MAX updates provide that model-specific example.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can an aircraft be delivered remotely?
Yes, remote handover has been documented, though the cited example does not establish it as today’s standard practice. In April 2020, Airbus described an e-Delivery process first used by Pegasus Airlines during the COVID-19 period. Technical acceptance was completed first, followed by electronic title transfer, then the ferry flight and reception at the airline’s base. Airbus said acceptance work could be delegated to Airbus or a local third party, with contract transactions and title signatures completed on its electronic platform. The airline’s crew or an appointed third party could collect and fly the aircraft to base. Airbus’s April 2020 announcement describes the arrangement.
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How many aircraft are being delivered?
Airbus reported 57 deliveries to 31 customers in August 2026 and 475 deliveries to 83 customers year-to-date through August 2026 on its Orders and Deliveries page. These are time-specific figures, not a measure of the duration or readiness of any individual aircraft handover.
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