A380 news on Financial Times

A Singapore Airlines A380 on its way to the gate


It has been a well known fact that different versions of computer software being used by the French and German plants resulted in delays in the A380 program.

An article on the July 16 2008 copy of the Financial Times explains the problems faced by Airbus in the production of the A380. 2000 German electricians have been sent from the Hamburg plant to Toulouse to lay the 500km of cables in the A380. The Unions say "a do it yourself system has replaced streamlined industrial processes." FT quoted a worker, Sabine Klauke who said "The work is not streamlined.We have to change things again and again." Ms Klauke was further quoted with saying:"Normal installation time is two to three weeks,this way it is taking us four months."

One might wonder why the management had to resort to such a manufacturing process and not fix it. Mario Heinin who runs the cabin and fuselage cross-border division explains :"We have delivered five high quality aircraft this way.If we had left the work in Hamburg, to wait for a new wiring design, we would not have delivered one by now."