Aircraft

Delivery of the second Emirates Airbus A380 has been delayed at least several weeks due to supplier issues with interior outfitting, pushing back the introduction of the first daily A380 service to New York Kennedy airport.

Sources in Dubai and Hamburg say delivery has been delayed until 20 October "at the earliest."

The second 489-seat Emirates A380, MSN013, was intended for delivery in September for introduction on the airline's direct Dubai-New York Kennedy service on 1 October. The aircraft was to replace a Boeing 777-300ER on the route to establish the first daily A380 service to the USA.

"There may be a delay," says Emirates. Airbus says it declines to discuss delivery schedules for its aircraft, although the European airframer says it is still on track to have 12 A380s delivered before the end of 2008. Five A380s have been delivered this year.

Airbus revised its 2008 delivery target in May, down from 13 to 12, citing a slow transition of staff from Wave 1 hand-wired aircraft to Wave 2 aircraft with production wiring.

The Emirates website still says the A380 will operate the 13h daily New York route from 1 October. The route is now operated by the carrier's first A380 (A6-EDA) and a Boeing 777-300ER configured with 354 or 358 seats. With the delay of service entry of the second A380, Emirates will likely be required to boost capacity to compensate for the roughly 135-seat gap between the 777-300ER and the A380.

According to a source at the Dubai-based airline, daily service is now potentially set to start on 26 October, the same day as Qatar Airways, Emirates' regional competitor, is set to begin its daily non-stop Kennedy service from Doha using a 777-300ER.