[Gamecock]

***The privately held airline said by then, the A380 will have proved its "innovative design" over several years in customer service.***

Translation: We're going to sit back and see if this lemon is really all that Airbus claims it is. If the program is still going in 2013 maybe we'll buy some.

[Ready4Freddy]

There may be some truth to that, but I suspect (not knowing how these contracts are worded) that all the airlines who have ordered A380's are in the process of negotiating their 'slide down the delivery timeline', and how much it'll cost Airbus for the delays. Virgin's just announcing here that they finished the negotiations?

Wouldn't Virgin's 'agreement' to stick around until 2013 be binding on them at this point? I would think that they have a right to get out now if they wished, due to the delay(s), and they have chosen not to do so.

Translation: We're going to sit back and see if this lemon is really all that Airbus claims it is. If the program is still going in 2013 maybe we'll buy some.