Airbus has announced recently that production of its superjumbo A380 will take longer than planned, the fourth such delay, meaning it can only produce 12 instead of 13 jets this year and 21 instead of 25 in 2009. Although seemingly minor the added delay – when combined with the previous three – have serious implications for the carriers waiting for these planes, as carefully devised fleet renewal plans delicately hinge on the delivery of the new aircraft.
Airbus made the announcement on May 13, after reviewing its production progress and determining that the current schedule was impossible to meet. The company said it was unable to boost production as quickly as it had hoped following two years of delays caused by problems installing the wiring on the world’s largest passenger plane. It added that it would discuss details of its production plan and deliveries schedule with its customers in the coming weeks.
Airbus said that no conclusions about financial effects could be drawn from the results of its production review.