Aircraft News - Europe.

For more global news, data, analysis and features, please go to: http://www.AirGuideOnline.com/professional.htm Sep 25, 2006

Airbus, EADS 

Airbus and EADS announced 'further delays' to troubled A380 program. Confirming speculation by BAe Systems Chairman Mike Turner and others, Airbus parent EADS admitted yesterday that there will be "further delays" to the beleagured A380 program owing to "continuing" issues related to aircraft wiring. The company said a revised delivery schedule and an assesment of the setback's financial impact will be made public "within four weeks." "Although the Company's assessment is still under way, continuing industrialization challenges with the wiring of production aircraft have been identified and are being tackled," EADS said in a statement. "Consequently, from what is known today, there will be further delays." It noted that A380 flight testing is "progressing as planned." Sep 22, 2006

Airbus, EADS

Airbus' latest delay is the third overall for the program and comes barely three months after the June announcement of a six-month slippage in the delivery schedule that ultimately led to the resignations of CEOs at EADS and Airbus. Sep 22, 2006

Airbus, EADS

Airlines were cautious in their responses to yesterday's admission by Airbus and EADS. Emirates, for example, said it would wait for the revised delivery schedule before making decisions on cancellations or penalty compensation. The delay also will affect A380 suppliers such as cabin interior provider B/E Aerospace, which said it "expects A380 delivery delays to negatively impact its revenue and earnings in 2006." Sep 22, 2006

Airbus, Lufthansa

Lufthansa has firm orders for 15 Airbus A380s. It did not specify whether it will order the A330-200 or the larger dash 300. It currently operates 10 A330-300s, according to the AirGuideAircraft database. The additional A330s "will underpin Lufthansa's plans for growth in the long-haul sector," it said, noting that the planes will allow for route expansion that it previously hoped to achieve in 2007 and 2008 with A380s. Sep 21, 2006

Airbus, Lufthansa

Lufthansa intends to order five Airbus A319s, 10 A320s and 15 A321s and will place options for 30 more A320 family aircraft. Deliveries will begin next year, with all five A330s delivered by the end of 2008. Sep 21, 2006

Airbus, Lufthansa

Lufthansa to buy five Airbus A330s, 30 A320 family aircraft. Lufthansa's Supervisory Board yesterday gave approval for the airline to order 35 Airbus aircraft valued at more than $3 billion, including five new A330s that will "compensate for the delayed entry into service of the A380," the German carrier said in a statement. Sep 21, 2006

ATR, Air Deccan

ATR delivered its 700th aircraft to Air Deccan at a ceremony in Toulouse. The ATR 42-500 was the sixth delivered to the Indian LCC, which signed a contract last year for 30 aircraft. Sep 20, 2006

BAe Systems

BAe chairman says potential is there for more A380 delays. BAE Systems, which earlier this month decided to sell its 20% holding in Airbus to EADS for [euro]2.75 billion ($3.52 billion), is suggesting that A380 customers may want to brace for further production backups. Speaking at a press briefing, BAE Chairman Mike Turner said he "would not be surprised if there were more delays" and that "all the ingredients" for more setbacks in the A380 program are in place. Those comments are in line with remarks made by ILFC Chairman Steven Udvar-Hazy, who recently publicly predicted a third delay to the A380 program would be announced soon. Sep 20, 2006

BAe Systems

BAe enlisted PricewaterhouseCoopers to perform an audit of Airbus to determine the value of its holding and concluded from the review that the manufacturer faces "significant issues," particularly in regard to aircraft programs. Airbus has said it is conducting its own review of the A380 program and will announce a revised delivery schedule by the end of this month. Sep 20, 2006

Boeing, Aeroflot

Aeroflot CEO Valery Okulov said this week that the carrier will buy long-haul aircraft from both Boeing and Airbus, with plans to purchase 22 from each. A major Aeroflot stakeholder earlier this week signed a preliminary agreement with Boeing for 22 787s. Sep 22, 2006

Boeing, Aeroflot

Aeroflot stakeholder signs preliminary agreement for 22 787s. Russia's National Reserve Corp., a major stakeholder in Aeroflot, signed a preliminary agreement for 22 787s, according to Russian daily Kommersant, which reported that the airline has transferred rights on the 787s to the shareholder because Russian authorities have not yet approved the deal for Aeroflot. It is understood that terms for the 787 purchase were due to expire Friday. The transaction, which has been underway for 12 months, has been affected by political considerations following Russian state-owned bank Vneshtorgbank's purchase of more than $1 billion worth of Airbus parent EADS shares and indications from Moscow that it is interested in playing a management role in the aerospace giant. Aeroflot indicated last week that it will buy both the 787 and A350 XWB. Sep 20, 2006

Bombardier , Cimber Air

Cimber Air Maintenance Center acquired a hangar at Billund Airport in Denmark from Sterling Airlines. CAMC plans to use the facility to expand its Bombardier CRJ200 support activity and eventually offer MRO services to third-party customers. It already provides line maintenance for sister company Cimber Air, which operates a fleet of nine CRJ200s. This fall, CAMC will undertake four-year checks on two Cimber CRJs. Sep 22, 2006

Skyways Aviation, PGA Portugalia

Skyways Aviation arranged the long-term ACMI lease of an F100 from Romania's Carpatair to PGA Portugalia. The aircraft, set for delivery at the end of October, will operate in Portugal through March 2007. Carpatair will provide flight crews and maintenance. Sep 19, 2006