Airbus has warned customers of a potential three-month delay on its 20 billion euro ($26 billion) A400M transport aircraft program, a senior executive said Jan. 17.The European aircraft company said in December that an audit of the A400M program identified areas of risk and had approved a recovery plan. The program review recognized the risk of a three-month delay in starting final assembly of the aircraft, Tom Williams, Airbus executive vice president, programs, said at AirbusÂ’ New YearÂ’s press conference Jan. 17.The potential delay was due to an extensive redesign of the aircraft, which called for structural changes to meet performance commitments, he said. The redesign had been completed by the time the program audit was done. But to avoid repeating the production fiasco that has delayed deliveries of the A380 superjumbo aircraft, Airbus will only begin assembly of the A400M if the sections delivered are at the required level of completion, Williams said.
If A400M assembly were delayed, time could be made up in the test phase by using several airframes in concurrent testing, Williams said. “It can be done.” That could allow Airbus to meet a target of first flight, due in January 2008. A three-month delay was probably not critical in a military program, he said.
| Never did stop the USAF. |