Qantas delays two A380s

QANTAS        AIRBUS         MANUFACTURING

Australia – Qantas says its fifth and sixth A380 will be delayed due to flight-stability issues.

The carrier said it was in talks with Airbus over a problem with the aircraft's flight trim, which helps the aircraft to fly straight. The problem is not a safety concern, said Steve Purvinas from the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association, but rather, causes the aircraft to become less fuel efficient.

"A trim on an aircraft is designed to keep your aircraft flying straight through the air," he said. "What can happen is the aircraft can start to oscillate in a figure eight pattern, but you try to avoid all those things with your aircraft having an effective trim system."

Qantas said no commercial impact is expected from the delay as the airline has yet to publish scheduled services for the planes. "Qantas has robust contractual provisions in place with all aircraft manufacturers, including Airbus, that govern tolerances around aircraft specifications, including flight trim," the company said.

The airline's fifth A380 was due to arrive at the end of the month, but its arrival has now been put of until December. ________________________________________________________

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