UPS To Cancel A380?

[B747FR8DAWG]

It Looks like Airbus might abandon the A380 freighter program, due to no orders.

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Report: UPS May Cancel A380 Order[/FONT]
Rumors that UPS may cancel the last remaining order for the Airbus A380 freighter swirled again Friday morning Jan. 19 as French newspaper Les Echos printed an unsourced story that it could happen next week.

UPS denied the report. "Nothing has changed with us, we're not close to making any decision on the A380 freighter," said Mark Giuffre, UPS's manager of public relations. "We're still in negotiations."

Asked to elaborate, Giuffre said: "We're talking with Airbus about its ability to meet the latest timetable for delivery." UPS was told to expect deliveries of the A380 sometime during the first or second quarter of 2010. Before the latest delay, UPS was to have received its first A380 freighter during the fourth quarter of 2009.

Airbus offices outside of Washington D.C. and Toulouse gave similar comments to the report that the sole remaining customer, UPS, was dumping the plane. "I have no information along that line," said an Airbus spokeswoman.

UPS may be better off waiting for Airbus to cancel the freighter program. Such a plan would most likely guarantee UPS compensation for its unrealized A380 orders.

The order for 10 aircraft is the last one remaining since FedEx cancelled its order last year. Construction is now two years overdue because of acknowledged problems with the plane's complex electrical wiring system.

The economic damage to Airbus was apparent in an announcement Jan. 17 from parent European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company. The company expects Airbus to report a loss for the fourth quarter of 2006 due to settlements with customers and additional A380 charges.

 

[Whale Rider]

You would think it would be in Airbus' best interest to loose UPS and concetrate all of its efforts on the pax A380. Save compensation paymants in the least. But they are trying to put Humpty Dumpty together again.

Good Luck!

 

[stupidpilot]

Another POS throw away plane from Scarebus. I'm glad they're screwing up so badly. It proves that government subsidized businesses and cradle to grave benefits breeds laziness and no incentive to get off your rear end and work.

 

[TWA]

Boeing should send airbus a nice fruit basket because of all the 777 sales as a result of the failed a380 program. The first thing the french have done in a long time to support the good ole U S of A.

 

[skyward80]

I have a family member who works for Boeing. One day, when I was talking to him on the phone, I heard him say, "Oh crap." He stopped talking on the phone for a few seconds and when he returned, he said, "Sorry, I had to run inside, there was an Airbus flying over and well... you just never know with their stuff."

My .02: Airbus and UPS are both waiting each other out to see who will cancel first. The first one to cancel will have to take some sort of financial hit I'm sure.

Skyward80

 

[AV80R]

I hear it’s a waiting game between Airbus and UPS.

Airbus wants to cancel the cargo version so they can focus on the pax version. However, if they do – it’ll free UPS from buying more airplanes from Airbus and cancel the previous A300 orders.

On the other hand, if UPS cancels the A380 order – they will still be obligated to buy the remaining 40 A300s which the A380 order was meant to replace.

Anyone else heard that rumor?