Dixon talks tough on Airbus delay

Sunday, 23 Jun, 2006 0

Qantas is seeking replacement aircraft from troubled manufacturer Airbus as delays continue to plague the A380.

Chief executive Geoff Dixon yesterday confirmed that Qantas was “looking and talking” to Airbus about stop-gap aircraft.

He was adamant that Airbus would properly compensate Qantas for the hold-up that has upset planning arrangements for the introduction of the aircraft.

“We won’t just seek it, we will get it,” Mr Dixon declared, addressing reporters after speaking to an Asia Society lunch in Melbourne.

“We have contracts with conditions that require Airbus to compensate us based on delivery timetables and many of those have been activated.

“We have no intention of changing our order or anything like that,” Mr Dixon said.

“We want to work with Airbus and help them embody the aircraft that we are going to put on and get this plane in the air as quickly as possible”.

The airline initially expected that it would get its first plane this October but now must wait until October-December next year.

This will be almost a year behind its arch rival on the London long -haul route, Singapore Airlines. Mr Dixon said Qantas expected Airbus to respond to the carrier’s delivery schedule for new long-haul aircraft.

Meanwhile, the future of EADS co-chief executive Noel Forgeard was left hanging on the outcome of a probe into the trading of its shares on Thursday as pressure mounted on the Airbus parent over its handling of A380 delays.

For the second day running a senior French government figure avoided backing him in public, despite broad support for EADS’ management expressed by President Jacques Chirac last week.

EADS owns 80 percent of Airbus and is in the process of buying the other 20 percent from BAE Systems.

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Graham Muldoon

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