TOULOUSE (France): European aviation giant Airbus on Thursday posted an 11 percent drop in net profit to 3.8 billion euros ($4.1 billion) in 2023, with past charges for its space business cutting into earnings.

The group, which delivered 735 aircraft last year despite supply chain problems, said it plans to deliver about 800 in 2024. It reached the mark in 2018 before the pandemic battered the aviation industry.

And despite the space problems, the profit figure was the third biggest announced by Airbus after its 4.2 billion-euro bumper year in 2022.

“In 2023 we recorded strong order intake across all our businesses and we delivered on our commitments. This was a significant achievement given the complexity of the operating environment,” said Airbus chief executive Guillaume Faury.

The group said it had received orders for 2,094 aircraft in 2023, beating a previous record dating back to 2013.