PARIS (Reuters) -Europe’s Airbus on Wednesday reported higher than expected third-quarter profits and revenues led by commercial jetliner deliveries and gains in helicopters and defence.

It reaffirmed its main financial and delivery targets but cut the production goal for its smallest model and now aims to assemble 12 of the Canadian-designed A220s a month in 2026, down from a previous target of 14 a month in the same period.

The world’s largest planemaker said core operating profit rose 38% to 1.94 billion euros ($2.26 billion) in the three months to end-September as revenues grew 14% to 17.83 billion.

Analysts were on average expecting core or adjusted operating profit of 1.76 billion euros on revenues of 17.37 billion euros, according to a company-compiled consensus.

($1= 0.8575 eur

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