and the euroRATS take another one in the...............HA ha!!!
Posted on 10/28/2006 8:50:56 AM PDT by Excuse_My_Bellicosity
VIRGIN Atlantic, the UK airline owned by Sir Richard Branson, is to defer its order for the new Airbus A380 by four years.
In a further blow to the troubled aircraft maker - owned by European group EADS - Virgin, which had ordered six of the new "super-jumbos" for delivery in 2009, now wants to delay their arrival till 2013.
There had been speculation that Virgin would ditch the A380 altogether, but the firm now wants the aircraft to prove itself in commercial service for several years before it puts its own into operation. Virgin is instead planning to extend its leases on a number of Boeing 747-400 jumbo jets to cover the delay.
In June this year, Airbus had told Virgin it might face a six-month delivery delay, after wiring and other problems emerged. Originally Virgin had wanted the aircraft this year.
The problems with the A380 have forced Airbus, which has orders for 159 aircraft, to issue three warnings of delays in the past two years. The most recent was earlier this month, when it told customers they could face delays of up to two years. Airbus is now expecting to deliver the first aircraft to Singapore Airlines in October 2007, two years behind schedule.
As a result of the hold-ups, most of Airbus's A380 customers are deep in negotiations in the hope of improving the terms on which they are buying the aircraft.
Shortly after Airbus's October announcement, Emirates - the single biggest customer with 43 planes - warned that it might cancel some of its order.
The delays also mean the project is costing Airbus vastly more than originally expected.
EADS now says it will have to sell 420 aircraft - more than half the total it hopes to sell in the entire service life of the A380 - to break even, rather than the 270 it originally estimated.
Let the socialist EU collapse. That is where it is headed anyway.
Time for Airbus to be true to their French heritage and throw in the white flag.
Seems like all the airlines have been getting together over Moes plotting of how to run airbus in to the ground.
Like to buy them all a beer to show my gratitude.
You have any prognostications for when this collapse is going to happen?
Why did he delay deliver from '09 to '13? They won't be in production in time to make the '09 delivery anyway.
I think Germany is part of EADS.
A I R B U S t
BAE Systems, part owner and maker of the wings, is UK based.
"They'll deliver you airplanes instead of excuses". I invite you to study the history of 747 development. And while you're at it, look at Boeing's recent problems with 787 weight and suppliers. Aibus's woes on 380 are huge, largely brought on themselves by Gallic/German squabbling. Boeing makes it's own errors. So we should celebrate home-grown incompetance?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.