Airbus yesterday announced that the A380 delivery schedule would be further delayed.

For the fourth time since 2006 and after the conclusion of an internal audit, Airbus yesterday announced that the A380 delivery schedule would be further delayed. Thomas Enders said the plane maker would deliver 12 units of the superjumbos this year, instead of 13, 21 in 2009, instead of 25, and “between 30 and 40 in 2010”. Following weeks of rumours, the announcement was largely expected and the EADS share remained quite stable yesterday (-0.13%) as the extent of that “two- to three-month” delay in average is less serious than previous schedule slippages. The implementation of the new automated industrial process for the A380 wiring production (dubbed ‘Wave 2’), due to replace the current craft individual manufacturing method (‘Wave 1’) from this summer,

Boeing updated its customers about the revised schedule for the 787 programme.

Boeing updated its customers about the revised schedule for the 787 programme. The plane maker reportedly admitted that the first unit would be delivered at the end of 2009 instead of the second quarter of 2008. Besides, the group’s target of a monthly production rate for 10 aircraft would only be achieved in 2012, instead of 2009. Hamburger Abendblatt

“Tie game” between Airbus and Boeing

La Tribune speaks of “tie game” between Airbus and Boeing. In a comment piece, columnist Pascal Aubert says the first A380 delay, unveiled in 2006, plunged Airbus into an unprecedented crisis. Today, the news seems less damaging for the plane maker. In the meantime, indeed, Boeing has known similar difficulties with its 787 programme. This is almost “tie game” between the two manufacturers: Airbus has announced four delays, Boeing three. These delays are far from amazing. Both the A380 and 787 face new and complex technological challenges. With its A380, Airbus pushed further the boundaries of big-size travel, an “audacious bet” that was applauded by the sector from the start.

The press analyses the impact of Airbus’s and Boeing’s respective delay announcements on airlines’ operations.

The press also analyses the impact of Airbus’s and Boeing’s respective delay announcements on airlines’ operations. While Le Figaro Economie comments that the combined delays of the Airbus A380 and Boeing 787 will lead the global air transport industry to a serious capacity shortage –of nearly 100,000 seats per day- and will force airlines to continue operating fuel-greedy aircraft, La Tribune qualifies this point of view. These delays, indeed, might not be such bad news for airlines. According to the newspaper, they will avoid a flood of additional capacity that would have caused serious problems today, in a context where the growth of air traffic slows down.

EADS unveils its quarterly results today.

The group is expected to report a net profit of € 245.57M, according to a consensus estimate compiled by Thomson Financial. In the same period last year, EADS posted a net loss of € 10M. Deutsche Bank analysts expect the group’s management to remain cautious about its outlook as the dollar rate remains negative for Airbus and ongoing programmes –A400M and A380- still face challenges. AFX (14/05)

Airbus warns of new cost-saving measures to reinforce its Power 8 restructuring plan.

COO Fabrice Bregier yesterday confirmed that “additional cost-saving measures” were under study and should be announced by the summer. While he emphasised the sound cash reserves of the plane maker, Mr Bregier acknowledged that new measures were necessary, including possible relocation and longer working hours at the group’s plants in France and Germany. The main goal of these measures will be to reduce the group’s exposure to the dollar “by buying more from and producing more in low-cost areas”. Relocations will not impact the A380 programme, he however asserted. AFP (13/05), Les Echos, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

Spirit joins the Airbus A350 XWB programme,

Spirit joins the Airbus A350 XWB programme, reports Le Figaro Economie. Airbus selected Spirit, the “composites expert”, for manufacturing part of the fuselage (section 15) for its future A350 XWB, reportedly preferring the US supplier over Alenia (Italy) and Stork Fokker (the Netherlands). Until now, this specific section was built in Europe, but Airbus wants to escape from the strong euro, explains Le Figaro Economie. The group should announce its decision to the public soon. The daily comments that the A350 XWB programme is emblematic for Airbus on two levels: First, the group will test its new business model, built on risk-sharing industrial partnerships, with this new project; it will also undertake a major technological leap. Like Boeing with its 787, the A350 will be made of 50%-more composites. The choice of Spirit also prefigures what will be the ambition of the new Power 8 measures to be implemented from 2010. Airbus wants to work more with dollar-based suppliers, and in a more systematic manner than today, explains the newspaper. Le Figaro Economie

Latecoere enters a zone of uncertainties,

Latecoere enters a zone of uncertainties, says La Tribune. The failure of its negotiations with Airbus over the acquisition of the plane maker’s sites in Meaulte and Saint-Nazaire has wiped out Latecoere’s industrial ambitions. The aerospace supplier was hoping to make its entry into the tight club of world leaders in airframes. Though observers agree that the company still displays a solid order book –equivalent to four years of turnover- and enjoys a large margin of manoeuvre to reduce its costs, it will nonetheless be forced to relocate production to low-cost areas, said Philippe Junca, Latecoere’s chairman, last week. Besides, now that it is isolated, Latecoere could become prey to larger rivals, like Spirit Aerosystems.