Malaysian Airline System Bhd, the nation's biggest carrier, said it's seeking compensation from Airbus SAS because of a delay in the delivery of six A380 aircraft from the manufacturer.
Penerbangan Malaysia Bhd, the parent of Kuala Lumpur-based Malaysian Airline, placed a US$1.6 billion order for six A380 planes in December 2003, scheduling them for delivery in January 2007. With an average delay of six months, the plane will be delivered starting in July 2007 until May 2009, the airline said.
"We are naturally disappointed with this delay," Malaysian Airline's executive director Azmil Zahruddin said in a Sept. 11 statement. "We are considering our options on this matter."
Malaysian Airline joins Emirates, the largest customer for the A380, Qantas Airways Ltd and Singapore Airlines Ltd in seeking damages after the world's biggest maker of commercial aircraft said in June the first deliveries of the new 555-seat aircraft will be delayed as much as half a year. The delays are a blow for Toulouse, France-based Airbus, which is counting on the A380 to keep its sales lead over Chicago-based Boeing Co.
The A380, which will be the biggest passenger plane when it comes into service, costs US$282 million to US$302 million each, based on catalog prices.
Malaysian Airline will consider "reappraising" the deployment of planes for existing and future routes as well as its weekly frequencies to minimize the impact of the delayed A380 delivery, the carrier said.
The carrier last month reported a loss of 280.7 million ringgit (US$74.5 million) in the quarter ended June, compared with last year's profit of 26.6 million ringgit, after record oil prices raised fuel costs. Malaysian Airline is seeking to cut costs and boost long-haul flights to stem losses.
Singapore Airlines, Asia's most profitable carrier, plans to be the first airline to fly the A380 in December next year.
MISINFORMATION: The generated content tends to adopt China’s official stance, such as ‘Taiwan is currently governed by the Chinese central government,’ the NSB said Five China-developed artificial intelligence (AI) language models exhibit cybersecurity risks and content biases, an inspection conducted by the National Security Bureau (NSB) showed. The five AI tools are: DeepSeek, Doubao (豆包), Yiyan (文心一言), Tongyi (通義千問) and Yuanbao (騰訊元寶), the bureau said, advising people to remain vigilant to protect personal data privacy and corporate business secrets. The NSB said it, in accordance with the National Intelligence Services Act (國家情報工作法), has reviewed international cybersecurity reports and intelligence, and coordinated with the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau and the National Police Agency’s Criminal Investigation Bureau to conduct an inspection of China-made AI language
BOOST IN CONFIDENCE: The sale sends a clear message of support for Taiwan and dispels rumors that US President Donald Trump ‘sold out’ the nation, an expert said The US government on Thursday announced a possible sale to Taiwan of fighter jet parts, which was estimated to cost about US$330 million, in a move that an expert said “sends a clear message of support for Taiwan” amid fears that Washington might be wavering in its attitude toward Taipei. It was the first announcement of an arms sale to Taiwan since US President Donald Trump returned to the White House earlier this year. The proposed package includes non-standard components, spare and repair parts, consumables and accessories, as well repair and return support for the F-16, C-130 and Indigenous Defense Fighter aircraft,
LIMITS: While China increases military pressure on Taiwan and expands its use of cognitive warfare, it is unwilling to target tech supply chains, the report said US and Taiwan military officials have warned that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) could implement a blockade within “a matter of hours” and need only “minimal conversion time” prior to an attack on Taiwan, a report released on Tuesday by the US Senate’s China Economic and Security Review Commission said. “While there is no indication that China is planning an imminent attack, the United States and its allies and partners can no longer assume that a Taiwan contingency is a distant possibility for which they would have ample time to prepare,” it said. The commission made the comments in its annual
CHECKING BOUNDARIES: China wants to disrupt solidarity among democracies and test their red lines, but it is instead pushing nations to become more united, an expert said The US Department of State on Friday expressed deep concern over a Chinese public security agency’s investigation into Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋) for “secession.” “China’s actions threaten free speech and erode norms that have underpinned the cross-strait ‘status quo’ for decades,” a US Department of State spokesperson said. The Chongqing Municipal Public Security Bureau late last month listed Shen as “wanted” and launched an investigation into alleged “secession-related” criminal activities, including his founding of the Kuma Academy, a civil defense organization that prepares people for an invasion by China. The spokesperson said that the US was “deeply concerned” about the bureau investigating Shen
RSS