Emirates audit team to assess Airbus schedule
From Times Wire Services
Emirates, the biggest buyer of the world’s largest airliner, said it would send its own audit team to Airbus before entering talks to address the A380 super-jumbo’s two-year production delay to 2008.
“By the time we get the first one, we would have had 18 flying” were it not for the delay, said Emirates President Tim Clark.
The Dubai-based carrier plans to send a team to Airbus manufacturing facilities in Toulouse, France, and Hamburg, Germany, to assess how realistic the plane maker’s latest proposed delivery schedule is.
Emirates also canceled an order for 10 of Airbus’ long-range A340-600 jetliners in favor of the more fuel-efficient 777 from Boeing Co. of Chicago.
