Press reports had indicated that the future of the A380F might be in doubt, but a spokesman in Toulouse was adamant that the project would still happen.
”Airbus is disappointed that UPS intends to cancel its A380 freighter order later this year,” commented the spokesman to ABTN. ”UPS is and remains, a valuable and strong customer. On the passenger side, the programme is progressing well in line with the new timetable for first delivery in October, 2007.
”The freighter programme is rescheduled and if you receive less orders, then it does not continue at the same pace. We are not closing one part of the factory and switching the power off.”
But UPS understands that Airbus work is being shifted from the freighter side to the passenger front, noting: ”Based on our previous discussions, we had felt that 2012 was a reasonable estimate of when Airbus could supply this aircraft,” said UPS Airline COO and president, David Abney.
”We are no longer confident that Airbus can adhere to that schedule and understand that Airbus is diverting employees from the A380 programme to work on the passenger version.”
News of UPS” cancellation came in the same week that Boeing hosted a briefing in London for its stretch 747-8 passenger and cargo aircraft, attended by launch freighter customer, Cargolux.