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A380 faces further delay
Airbus is delaying delivery of its A380 super-jumbo by six months, prompting calls for compensation from one airline.
It will be the second hold-up in delivery dates in year.
The delay has been put down to bottlenecks in the aircraft’s electrical systems, according to the Daily Telegraph.
Launch customer Singapore Airlines will only receive one of the 555-passenger capacity aircraft this year as a result. SIA had planned to operate the aircraft from London to Sydney in 2006.
Only nine A380s will be delivered next year instead of the 25 planned. Airbus has orders for 159 A380s from 16 airlines including Emirates, Lufthansa and Qantas.
Geoff Dixon, chief executive of the Australian airline, said talks would be held with Airbus in the next two weeks after an internal review of the implications of the A380 delay.
He said: “Our discussions with Airbus will centre around the new delivery timetable, competitive issues, compensation and possible short-term replacement aircraft. We would hope to alleviate some of the difficulties by deferring the retirement of aircraft, redirecting capacity and securing replacement capacity.”
Dixon said Qantas would not be able to assess the full impact of the delay until completing its internal review.
Airbus said: “While it is still on track to win certification for the aircraft and deliver the first unit at the end of 2006, only a maximum of nine A380 aircraft can be delivered in 2007.
“As a result, compared to the initial targets, there will be shortfalls in delivery of five to nine aircraft in 2008 and around five aircraft in 2009.”
Report by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
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