The product is not expensive, in fact the fixed price contract is a real problem.
The fixed price contract was what Airbus insisted upon to get the programme off the ground and commercially viable. The flip side to that was that they had to deliver the aircraft to spec and on time. The fact that they cannot deliver the aircraft as promised is the issue and they are now trying to renogotiate the contract no doubt threatening all sorts of european job losses if we stick to the terms and enact the penalty clauses.
Joys of mixing politics and procurement.
And I am a fan of the programme!