Deliveries of the Airbus A380 super-jumbo airliners have been delayed for at least six months in a setback that leaves the European manufacturer open to compensation claims from airlines, Australian flag carrier Qantas said yesterday.
Qantas chief executive Geoff Dixon said delivery of the first of the airline's 12 A380s, scheduled for October next year, had been pushed back to April 2007.
"This is disappointing, given that we have met all of Airbus' deadlines for Qantas specifications," Dixon said in a statement. "However we are developing contingency plans to ensure there is no impact on our schedules or available capacity during the six month delay."
The A380, the world's largest commercial airliner with a standard capacity of 555 passengers, will initially be flown by Singapore Airlines (SIA).
Dixon said all airlines which had made early Airbus orders were in the same situation.
"Airbus had advised that the deliveries would be made in the same sequence with the same time differentials," he said.
He said Qantas would seek compensation under the terms of its contract with Airbus.
Qantas will consider deferring the retirement of a number of aircraft, redirecting capacity, and bringing forward the delivery of other aircraft on order to cover the delay of the A380s.
The news comes less than two months after the Europeans trumpeted the successful maiden flight of the double-decker airliner and two weeks before they go to battle with Boeing at the Paris air show.
SIA, which is due to take the first four A380s to roll off the production line, also said it was disappointed at the delay, which it first signalled early last month. But the airline said it still hopes to begin flying the giant aircraft, notably on it s Sydney-London route, in the second half of next year.
"While we are disappointed that we will experience a delay in taking carriage of the new A380 aircraft, we are working with Airbus to minimize the length of that delay," SIA spokeswoman Samantha Stewart said. "It will not affect Singapore Airlines' 'First to Fly' position."
SIA has ordered 10 A380s with an option for another 15.
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