vapilot2004
19th Jan 2007, 09:25
While not exactly good news, the UPS A380 cancellation may free up delivery slots and some R&D cash for Airbus. Not much surprise here considering the joint Fed-Ex/UPS Irish maintenance deal is dead.
Now to speculation - will UPS sign up for the recently announced A330F?
From Forbes.com:
Airbus to freeze development of A380 cargo version as UPS cancels order - report
01.19.07, 4:36 AM ET
PARIS (AFX) - Airbus is to freeze the development of a cargo version of its A380 plane after UPS decided to cancel the only remaining order for the model, Les Echos reported without citing sources.
According to the French daily, UPS (nyse: UPS - news - people ) may announce next week the cancellation of its order for ten A380 cargo planes.
After cancellations by Fedex (nyse: FDX - news - people ) and ILFC, due to delays in the A380 programme, UPS' decision to withdraw its order means that Airbus will have to suspend the project.
Such a postponement would let Airbus free up 1 bln eur in development costs and focus on the passenger version of the A380.
Les Echos said UPS decided some time ago to cancel its order but Airbus asked it to delay the announcement in order to protect a runway extension project in Hamburg, necessary for the future development of the A380-cargo.
It quoted a UPS spokesman as saying that 'at the moment we are talking,' the company was still weighing its options regarding the A380 order.
The Hamburg runway project is being challenged by local associations, and a ruling is due from a German court today.
Now to speculation - will UPS sign up for the recently announced A330F?
From Forbes.com:
Airbus to freeze development of A380 cargo version as UPS cancels order - report
01.19.07, 4:36 AM ET
PARIS (AFX) - Airbus is to freeze the development of a cargo version of its A380 plane after UPS decided to cancel the only remaining order for the model, Les Echos reported without citing sources.
According to the French daily, UPS (nyse: UPS - news - people ) may announce next week the cancellation of its order for ten A380 cargo planes.
After cancellations by Fedex (nyse: FDX - news - people ) and ILFC, due to delays in the A380 programme, UPS' decision to withdraw its order means that Airbus will have to suspend the project.
Such a postponement would let Airbus free up 1 bln eur in development costs and focus on the passenger version of the A380.
Les Echos said UPS decided some time ago to cancel its order but Airbus asked it to delay the announcement in order to protect a runway extension project in Hamburg, necessary for the future development of the A380-cargo.
It quoted a UPS spokesman as saying that 'at the moment we are talking,' the company was still weighing its options regarding the A380 order.
The Hamburg runway project is being challenged by local associations, and a ruling is due from a German court today.