Airbus soon could be without a customer for the freighter version of its delayed A380 superjumbo jet, according to reports in a French newspaper.
Next week, United Parcel Service is expected to cancel the only remaining order for A380 freighters, said unidentified sources in the Friday edition of business daily Les Echos. Although the cancellation has been rumored for weeks, neither Airbus nor UPS would confirm the report.
When Airbus announced its third delay last fall on the A380 program, the European plane maker had orders for 25 freighters. UPS rival FedEx Express cancelled its request for 10 A380 cargo jets and placed an order for 15 Boeing Co. 777 freighters. International Lease Finance Corp. swapped out its order for five A380 freighters in exchange for other Airbus planes.
Analysts say that besides the roughly two-year delay on the A380 program, Airbus’s freighter also has to overcome concerns that it is designed to carry only light, not heavy, cargo.
Meanwhile, the top selling freighter of 2006 for Boeing was the new version of its jumbo jet, the 747-8 freighter. The program has won 54 orders since its launch in November 2005.
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