Airbus Slashes Superjumbo Output, Says A320 Fix Unreliable
- Double-decker build rate to drop to just eight planes a year
- Narrow-body output delayed as Pratt engine tweak falls short
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Airbus SE said it will almost halve production of its slow-selling A380 superjumbo, casting further doubt over the program’s future, while warning that engine glitches are still weighing on deliveries of the single-aisle A320 that’s due to become its largest-volume model.
The A380 build rate will be reduced to eight jets a year in 2019, down from 15 this year and 28 in 2016, Airbus said Wednesday. While the company aims to eke out the backlog in anticipation of revived demand as airports get busier, it said the handful of ongoing contract negotiations may not produce sales.