First A380 Deliveries Delayed Another 6 Months

The entry into service of the Airbus A380 superjumbo the €13.7bn ($16.7bn) flagship of Europe's civil aerospace industry has been delayed for up to six months, the aircraft maker said on Wednesday.

The delays facing the first commercial flight of the world's biggest passenger jet were first disclosed by Qantas on Wednesday.

The Australian flag carrier had been due to take its first delivery in the autumn next year, but said the arrival of its first A380 would be delayed by six months "as a result of manufacturing issues at Airbus".

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Qantas and other early adopters may seek financial compensation for the delay. Hmm, I wonder what's really going on here? Was a design flaw found in the prototype?

[edit on 6/2/2005 by djohnsto77]

Some has to do with weight. A project of this magnatude will no doubt have "issues" as they trasition to production. Rember that they had to go with carbon fibre around the windows in an effort to save weight. No doubt other areas may not be along as far as they want. The 787 also has the same problem with being overweight. Its an expected as part of the development program.

What is more interesting IMHO is the fact that they have revised the break even point to the higher number of planes. It is unclear if this delay will cause the break even point to go any higher. under the generous terms of thier "launch aid" they do not have to repay untill the plane is profitable.