UPS rethinking A380 deal

[Kip Powick]

NEW YORK–United Parcel Service Inc., the last remaining customer for the Airbus A380 superjumbo freighter, said yesterday it reached an agreement for Airbus to push back delivery dates of the planes and left open its option to cancel the order outright.

UPS, the world's largest package delivery company, has been rethinking its order for 10 A380 freighters since October, when Airbus announced a third delay on the giant plane due to wiring problems, putting it two years behind schedule. UPS's planes were originally scheduled for delivery between 2009 and 2012. The company did not say what new dates it had agreed upon.

The U.S. company is Airbus's sole customer for the freighter version of the A380. Rival FedEx Corp. cancelled an order and lessor International Lease Finance Corp. and Dubai airline Emirates have switched freighter orders to the passenger version of the plane.

Delays and cancellations play into the hands of Airbus's U.S. rival Boeing Co., which is marketing its revamped 747-8 jumbo freighter, its biggest plane and the nearest competitor to the A380

[John S.]

That 380 could kill Airbus. Here's some more 747-8 info from a Boeing site:

The 747-8 Freighter will be 5.6 m (18.3 ft) longer than the 747-400 freighter. With a total payload capacity of 140 metric tonnes (154 tons), including tare weight, the 747-8F provides 16 percent more cargo revenue volume than the -400. The additional 117m3 (4,124 ft3) from the longer fuselage offers space for four additional main-deck pallets, two additional lower-hold pallets and two additional lower-hold containers. Cargo can be loaded and unloaded on the 747-8F using both the nose and side doors for maximum speed and efficiency.

Compared to the A380, the 747-8F will offer 20 percent lower trip costs. In addition, the 747-8F will maintain the operational flexibility of today's 747 freighters, with good profit potential at less-than-full loads