Airbus acknowledges the narrowing timeline for meeting its A350 delivery target for 2016, but is standing by its forecast of 50 aircraft.

The airframer has handed over 28 A350s so far this year, including the most recent – the Singapore Airlines jet which marked 10,000 Airbus deliveries.

With barely 20% of the year remaining Airbus is still trying to increase the pace of production.

The airframer delivered six aircraft in August – up from three in each of the previous three months – and five in September.

Chief operating officer for customers John Leahy, speaking during the Singapore Airlines event in Toulouse, admitted that the schedule was “tight”.

“It’s not a walk in the park,” he says, but adds: “I’d be very surprised if we didn’t get there.”

Delivery of the Singapore Airlines aircraft brought the global fleet of A350s to 43. The airframer has not specified the breakdown of deliveries it expects to carry out in the final quarter of this year.