Airbus A380 delayed again

Airbus today suffered another blow to its credibility when it confirmed further delays to the delivery schedule for its flagship A380 superjumbo.

The European plane-maker said the steep ramp-up in production planned two years ago could not be fully carried out, with the 13 deliveries planned for this year cut to 12 and the 25 scheduled for 2009 reduced to 21.

The delays could lead buyers such as Emirates, the superjumbo's biggest customer, to demand hefty compensation. Airbus, which plunged deeply into the red last year, said it could not yet quantify the financial impact of the move.

This is the fourth delay to the A380 schedule, but is less dramatic than previous ones. Shares in EADS, the Airbus owner, fell only slightly on the news.

Last week, Airbus suspended talks with a French components-maker, Latecoere, to buy two of its French plants. But GKN, the British engineering group, is said to remain on course to take over parts of its Filton site, near Bristol, later this year.

Delays to modern aircraft are becoming more frequent as manufacturers switch to more complex materials such as composites, and more sophisticated technology. Boeing, which has won more than 900 orders for its new 787 Dreamliner, has already announced three delays in delivering the long-haul jet.

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