A380 deliveries face 6-month delay

A380 deliveries face 6-month delay    Qantas said the delivery of its first Airbus A380 superjumbo jet would be delayed six months because of manufacturing hiccups at Airbus.
   The Australian airline ordered 12 of the massive planes, but won’t receive its first one until April 2007. All airlines with A380 orders, including FedEx and UPS, are similarly effected, Qantas said.
   Qantas is developing contingency plans that include deferring the retirement of several aircraft, shifting planes to different routes and accelerating the delivery of other aircraft on order.
   Qantas said it would seek compensation from Airbus for not meeting the delivery schedule, as specified in its contract.
   Airbus conducted the maiden flight of its first prototype plane earlier this year. Airbus officials acknowledged that costs for the plane have escalated beyond original estimates.