Airbus A380 Freighter program in question
By SwizStick • Dec 18th, 2006 • Category: Air Cargo, AirlinesJust when you thought it couldn’t get worse for Airbus, this report from Air Cargo World hints that the A380 freighter program could get axed:
UPS, which also has a 10 plus 10 order and option package for the A380 freighter, had no immediate decision on its orders but industry sources said cancellation was a prominent possibility. “We continue to evaluate the aircraft and the options we have,” said UPS Airlines spokesman Mark Giuffre.
FedEx instead placed a $3.5 billion order for 15 new 777 freighters, adding to Boeing’s strong winning streak in the all-cargo business, and with problems still buffeting the A380 the future of at least the freighter version was a serious question.
“This looks like the end of the line for the A380 freighter,” said George Hamlin of the Morten, Beyer & Agnew an aviation consultancy. “This is a significant customer desertion.”
EADS, the parent of Airbus, said customers of the 15 remaining A380 freighters would have to “reconfirm” their orders, creating something of a straw poll of customers that could presage a shutdown. “We’re still going ahead. The freighter program hasn’t been cancelled,” said Airbus spokesman Justin Dubon in Toulouse.
Emphasis ours. As the delays have piled up, demand for the freighter version of the A380 have dwindled. While it would probably be the right decision in the long run to axe the freighter program, it means eating a whole lot of development costs in the short-run, not to mention the boost it will give to Boeing freighters.
Stumble it!
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