PARIS (AP) -- Airbus said Thursday it still expects to achieve its target for aircraft sales this year despite a decision by Russia's biggest airline, Aeroflot, to delay delivery of some jets.
Aeroflot said a day ealier it cannot take the planned delivery of five new Airbus jets because it doesn't have the passengers to fill them in the current global downturn.
"We maintain our delivery forecast of 483 aircraft, matching the record set in 2008," Airbus' spokeswoman Stephanie Henrion said.
Aeroflot's decision means Airbus will have to wait for most of the $450 million that the airline was meant to pay for the jets.
Aeroflot said that two A320-200 jets would be delivered one year and two years later than planned -- that is, in the first quarter of 2011 and the first quarter of 2012. Three A321-200s would be delivered two years late -- in the first and the third quarter of 2012.
Russia's chief airline reported last week a 12 percent drop in passenger numbers in the first half of the year as the country struggles with its worst economic crisis in a decade.
"We maintain our delivery forecast of 483 aircraft, matching the record set in 2008," Airbus' spokeswoman Stephanie Henrion said.
Aircraft makers routinely deal with order delays by finding another airline that would like to advance its order.
Associated Press writer Nataliya Vasilyeva contributed to this report from Moscow.
