Airbus A380 suffers delays

PARIS — Airbus said Tuesday that deliveries of its new superjumbo A380 could be delayed by up to seven months, with airlines likely to get only nine planes next year, problems the European manufacturer blamed on production-line bottlenecks.

Airbus said flight certification of the 555-passenger aircraft and the first delivery to launch customer Singapore Airlines were still expected by year’s end. Progress in flight testing is “satisfactory,” the company added.

But “the delivery schedule will undergo a shift of six to seven months,” said a statement from the aircraft manufacturer. It said the new delays were mainly due to bottlenecks with the plane’s electrical systems.

“Modifications of electrical systems and reworks have been necessary … progressively disturbing the final assembly flow,” it said. “Airbus is fully aware of the burden this industrial issue represents for the airlines who are anxious to begin operating the A380.”

Deliveries of the double-decker aircraft will likely be limited to nine in 2007, with an additional shortfall of five to nine A380 deliveries expected in 2008 and “around five” in 2009, Airbus said.

Airbus had said previously it was confident it could deliver two aircraft before the end of 2006.

Toulouse, France-based Airbus is owned by European Aeronautic Defense & Space Co. and BAE Systems PLC. BAE Systems in currently trying to sell its 20 percent stake and EADS has said it is interested in taking full control.

EADS said the revised delivery schedule will not lead to a change in its 2006 outlook for earnings before interest and taxes.

But from 2007 to 2010, EADS said it anticipates annual shortfalls of contribution from the A380 program of about 500 million euros ($628 million) relative to the original baseline plan.