PARIS (AP) — EADS announced Wednesday that slow progress in developing the engine for the Airbus A400M will cause at least a six-month delay in deliveries of the military transport plane.
The confirmation of the delay at EADS, the Airbus parent, comes as the first of the European plane maker's A380 superjumbos landed in Singapore on Wednesday, more than a year behind schedule.
''A400M deliveries are now expected to start six months later than initially planned with a risk of a further slippage of up to a half year,'' EADS said in a statement.
Tom Williams, Airbus executive vice president for programs, said Monday that difficulties with the A400M's engine could push back the first flight of the turboprop back six months.
EADS said the revised schedule will affect A400M deliveries to both European and other customer nations. The rescheduling of the program was due to slow progress in engine development, it said.
European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co. said it would detail the financial impact of the delays, and measures it is taking in an upcoming earnings release.
The first A400M is in production in a final assembly line in Seville, Spain, and is due to make its first flight by the middle of 2008, EADS said.
