PARIS, April 30 (Reuters) - Airbus hinted at

lower aircraft deliveries in the current quarter as its chief

executive predicted worsening engine shortages before supplies

return to normal in the summer.

CEO Guillaume Faury said the number of Airbus narrow-body

jets left undelivered because of delays in the availability of

engines from its biggest supplier CFM International

would rise from the current total of 17.

"The CFM situation is ... degrading before it gets better so

we see an increasing number of so-called 'gliders' beyond the 17

we had at the end of Q1. It will continue to get worse before it

gets better; we think it will ... be back to a normal situation

at the summer," Faury told analysts.

CFM did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Airbus deliveries fell in the first quarter but the

planemaker on Wednesday maintained a forecast for 7% higher

deliveries over the year as a whole, suggesting deliveries would

again be weighted heavily towards the latter part of the year.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher; Editing by GV De Clercq)