AP
Airbus: Test Won't Delay A380 Delivery
Monday February 20, 7:06 am ET
Airbus Official Says A380's Failed Wing Test Will Not Delay Delivery
SINGAPORE (AP) -- Airbus's chief operating officer for customers said Monday the first delivery of the world's largest commercial jet, the A380, would not be affected by the failure of the jet's wing in a stress test last week.
"It's not a big problem at all in fact. We hope and expect it to be relatively minor," John Leahy said on the sidelines of an Airbus briefing ahead of the Asian Aerospace exhibition.
Before certifying an airliner for commercial service, aviation authorities set its "limit loads" -- the maximum strain each part is likely to be placed under during extreme turbulence or hard landings. New planes are required to resist loads of 1.5 times the limit.
The A380 wing had ruptured sooner than expected during ground testing in Toulouse on Tuesday, reaching only 1.45 times its limit load before breaking -- 3.3 percent short of target. The wing had been bent upward by 24.3 feet at the tip.
Leahy said there should not be any major modifications to the design of the plane.
"We have enough data from that test to know what needs to be done," he said. "This should have no impact on the delivery of the aircraft."
Seven airlines in the Asia-Pacific region have ordered a total of 49 A380s, accounting for 31 percent of 159 firm orders so far for the world's largest passenger aircraft -- but deliveries have been pushed back six to eight months due to production delays.
The 555-seater is due to enter into service with Singapore Airlines Ltd. by the end of the year. The aircraft has a list price of US$292 million (euro243 million).
The A380 will overtake The Boeing Co.'s 747 as the world's largest commercial jet when it enters service. Boeing announced late last year that it is launching the 747-8, a more fuel-efficient version of the double-decker plane, to compete with the A380.
Separately, Singapore Airlines said Monday it was evaluating proposals from Boeing and Airbus to supply long range aircraft, but a decision is unlikely anytime soon.
"We are evaluating (the proposals). The early submissions didn't meet our requirements in terms of delivery schedule and operational economics," Chief Executive Chew Choon Seng said on the sidelines of an aviation conference.
Singapore Airlines asked Boeing and Airbus in August to submit proposals for ultra-long range aircraft, to meet its fleet renewal needs and future expansion plans.