Airbus delays Flyington A330s

AIRBUS is delaying delivery of 12 A330-200 freighters to India’s Flyington Freighters. Airbus will now deliver the aircraft by the end of 2011 and Flyington is threatening legal action as they were originally set for delivery in July 2008.

Airbus used Flyington’s order to prove the viability of building the A330 line at a new plant in Alabama (US) and so win the US military’s aerial refuelling tanker contract, which would also have been built at the plant.

However, Airbus is defending itself by blaming Flyington for being too disorganised to accept the freighters when they were first ready for delivery. Flyington had not been able to get an air operator’s certificate and therefore it was Etihad Crystal Cargo that took delivery of the freighter when it was ready.

No doubt counter accusations and charges will continue to fly back and forth between Airbus and Flyington for some time, unlike the freighters.