Airbus to stagger Kingfisher orders

Kingfisher Airlines has yet again asked Airbus, the world's largest aircraft manufacturer, to defer the deliveries of the planes it ordered. Tushar Srivastava reports.

Kingfisher Airlines has yet again asked Airbus, the world's largest aircraft manufacturer, to defer the deliveries of the planes it ordered.

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"We slowed down when they needed us to slow down and they are now asking to adjust again," Kiran Rao, president, Airbus (India) told Hindustan Times. "We will adjust according to their plans. They want to discuss with us the way forward and we are ready to do that."

The Vijay Mallya-promoted carrier has an all-Airbus fleet and has on order A380's, A350's, A320's. "Deferring deliveries is logical. Its good for KFA if Airbus has agreed to it," said Kapil Kaul, South Asia CEO of aviation consultancy firm CAPA.

The postponement would help KFA save money as an airline has to pay at least 15% of the cost when it takes delivery.

"We worked with them in the past. We slowed down their A380s. Now as the market changes and if they want to start moving forward again we will be there for them," Rao said.

Rao said the A380 order was still on. "A380 is still on as an order but we are not talking about delivering aircraft. Originally it was (to be delivered in) 2011. It will be later on."