Airbus delays A380 superjet’s deliveries

Airbus had already starting preparing the ground for such an announcement — Singapore Airlines, which is due to fly the first scheduled A380 service between London Heathrow and Singapore, first said on May 3 it had been notified of a postponement — and delays to new aircraft are not uncommon.

But it adds to a growing list of headaches at the European aircraft builder as it slides into a major trade dispute over subsidies with arch-rival Boeing and struggles to fill an internal power vacuum created by its squabbling shareholders.

Keeping the 10-billion-euro A380 project on track after cost overruns and now delays will be a major task for the next head of Airbus, who has yet to be appointed after its fiery French boss Noel Forgeard fought to become the next co-CEO of parent EADS.

The world’s second-largest aerospace group had given Forgeard and his German counterpart in EADS until June 1 to come up with a list of appointments to put an end to months of Franco-German discord over who should run Airbus. But an industry source said the EADS board was not yet ready to meet.

The job is expected to go for the first time to a Germanaerospace executive, Forgeard’s number two Gustav Humbert.

Shares in EADS fell as much as much as 2.2 per cent on news of the A380 delays, leading decliners on the French blue-chip index. At mid-session they were off 1 per cent at 23.77 euros.

The shares had opened on a backfoot after Australian carrier Qantas Airways said delivery of the A380 aircraft which it has bought would be delayed six months to April 2007.

Singapore Airlines said it would take delivery of the first A380 in the fourth quarter of 2006 instead of mid-year. Emirates — the biggest customer with an order for 43 planes worth over $12 billion — would also be affected, Qantas said, adding that “manufacturing issues” at Airbus meant it would now receive the first of 12 A380s in April 2007.

— Reuters