July 16 (Bloomberg) Singapore Airlines Ltd. took delivery of its 11th Airbus SAS A380 today, six months after the plane was originally scheduled for handover, after the company that made the seats was embroiled in a production scandal.
Singapore was among carriers including All Nippon Airways Co., Continental Airlines Inc. and Japan Airlines Corp. that suffered delays after supplier Koito Industries Ltd. admitted it had made unauthorized design changes and used uncertified cabin seats for at least a decade. The revelation forced the manufacturers to go back and run additional tests.
The Singapore Airlines jet is the 10th A380 Airbus has delivered this year, and the handover comes the same day that Deutsche Lufthansa AG receives its second A380 jet. Airbus last year delivered only 10 planes over the entire year, an output the company plans to more than double in 2010.
The Koito seat delay also hampered the schedule of Boeing Co. aircraft, with the Chicago-based manufacturer delivering seven fewer 777s wide-body jets in the first six months than planned.
Source: Bloomberg