FILE PHOTO: The Airbus A320neo (New Engine Option) takes off during its first flight event in Colomiers near Toulouse, southwestern France, September 25, 2014. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau

LONDON (Reuters) - Airbus AIR.PA is over the worst on engine delays that have hampered deliveries of its A320neo passenger jet, with the number of semi-finished and undelivered planes beginning to come down, its planemaking chief said on Friday.

The European aerospace group has faced a backlog of up to 100 A320neo jets nicknamed 'gliders' - sitting on the ground outside factories without their engines - due to delays in deliveries mainly from U.S.-based Pratt & Whitney UTX.N.

Airbus President Guillaume Faury said this number had now fallen to 86 at the end of June. He also said that Airbus expected to deliver more of the A320neo models, carrying the new type of engine, in the second half than the current A320 model.

Airbus has not yet taken any decision on whether to increase output of single-aisle to 70 a month early next decade, with its engine makers not yet ready to make the jump, Faury said.