PARIS (Reuters) - Airbus maintained financial and industrial targets as it posted higher-than-expected third-quarter core profit and revenues on Wednesday, led by demand for profitable models and a favourable annual comparison for its troubled space business.

The world's largest planemaker said its widely-watched adjusted operating profit rose 39% to 1.407 billion euros ($1.53 billion) in the quarter as revenues rose 5% to 15.689 billion.

Analysts were on average expecting third-quarter operating profit of 1.2 billion euros on revenues of 15.302 billion, according to a company-compiled consensus.

Airbus earlier announced it had delivered the first long-range single-aisle A321XLR jet to Spain's Iberia and secured an order for 60 jets from Saudi startup Riyadh Air.

($1 = 0.9205 euros)

(Reporting by Tim Hepher, editing by Tassilo Hummel)