A380 delayed by six months

Emily Pacey

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Deliveries of the forthcoming superjumbo have been put back six months, Airbus has confirmed

Airbus will supply its A380 superjumbo to airlines six months later than planned. The company made the announcement after prospective customer Qantas revealed that delivery of the first of 12 A380s has been put back from October 2006 to April 2007.

Singapore Airlines was first to announce that its order of 10 planes had been put back by at least three months because of delays in testing. Airbus denied that there was a specific reason for the delays, which will affect all airlines that have ordered the A380.

Qantas chief executive Geoff Dixon told BBC reporters that "the delay was disappointing, given that we have met all of Airbus' deadlines for Qantas specifications". He said Qantas would be seeking compensation from Airbus under the terms of its contract.

Singapore Airlines said that despite the delays it still intends to make its first A380 passenger flight at the end of 2006.

So far 15 airlines have ordered a total of 150 A380s, raising the possibility of further compensation claims from airlines eager to fulfil advertised promises made to customers.