European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS N.V.

Eads(Euro Aeronautic Emirates sees 'no replacement airplane' for Airbus A380


PARIS (AFX) - Emirates airline, which is seeking financial compensation from
Airbus for delays in deliveries of its A380 airplanes, said there is "no
replacement airplane" for the Airbus A380, according to Jean-Luc Grillet,
Airbus' managing director, France and Benelux.
"Currently there is no replacement aircraft on the market for the Airbus
A380, and therefore there is no reason why we would not honour our orders",
Grillet said on BFM radio.
Emirates, Airbus' biggest customer for the A380 with 43 aircraft ordered, is
the first company to publicly ask for financial compensation from Airbus for
delays in deliveries.
"I think that in one way or another, the crisis that Airbus has just
undergone will have an impact on the company's credibility when it announces
delays in deliveries of new planes", Grillet said.
"It is one of the big questions that many companies are asking themselves at
the moment -- future clients of the future A350", he said.
"Despite everything, the airplanes are still good", he added.
Since October, Emirates has been demanding 150 mln stg compensation from
Airbus after the announcement of the latest delay in its deliveries, the third
since September 2005, the UK Sunday newspaper The Observer reported.
Airbus had told Emirates that the first delivery would not be honoured
before August 2008. The delivery was originally scheduled for October 2007.

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