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BEHIND SCHEDULE: Airbus has had to revise its A380 delivery numbers following more aircraft production delays.

Airbus delegates gathered in Toulouse last month to discuss the aircraft manufacturer's latest developments.

For Airbus' management securing bad press is nothing new. In recent months, the aircraft manufacturer has received coverage for all the wrong reasons after announcing further production delays to its A380.

This year, the company planned to deliver 13 planes, dubbed the world's biggest passenger aircraft, with a further 25 in 2009.

But numbers for the long-range, 525 seat model have since been reduced to 12 and 21 respectively. Newspapers have reported several reasons for the delays, although Airbus CEO Tom Enders insists the operation's employees are blameless.

"We must be realistic about what is needed to do a job right," the chief executive adds. "We know how to build the aircraft and we already have companies using them. The delays are about industrial ramp up."

While pressure from clients hasn't made the delays any easier, Enders believes high demand for the A380 shows Airbus is building an aircraft to satisfy customers' needs. "The A380 programme is a long-term investment for the company," he says.

"Even if it takes a bit more time at the beginning, in the long run we want to get the aircraft as good as we can get it."

Like Enders, the A380 programme's executive vice president and head Mario Heinen insists the postponement is necessary.

"When we realised we were fighting a losing battle we had the guts to reassess the situation and delay the process," he says.

Although the company is struggling with delays, reviews of the new aircraft have been positive. Reports from Singapore Airlines, which has operated the A380s since October 2007, suggest the aeroplane is performing well.

Elsewhere, Airbus has 196 firm orders for the aircraft from 17 customers including, Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways. For some analysts, the Middle East is considered a 'wide-bodied' market, making the A380 a popular model among the region's carriers.

Whether companies like Airbus have the manpower to produce adequate aircraft numbers remains to be seen.

Indeed, a global skills shortage is expected to create further problems for aircraft manufacturers already struggling to deliver planes on schedule.

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