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Airbus A380 superjumbo arrives in China
2006-11-23
The Airbus A380 arrived in the Chinese capital of Beijing on Thursday as part of a series of final test flights intended to lead to the superjumbo's air-worthiness certification by the end of the year. The 555-seater plane landed Thursday morning at Beijing Capital Airport and was expected to fly to the commercial center of Shanghai later in the day. Airbus has received orders for 166 of the superjumbo jets, including five from China Southern Airlines. Singapore Airlines is slated to be the first carrier to fly the superjumbo after it receives its first plane in October 2007 -- a year later than originally planned. Subsequent deliveries have suffered longer delays, averaging two years. Airbus and its parent company European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. have blamed wiring problems for the holdups, which they say will wipe 4.8 billion euros, or $6.2 billion, off profit over the next four years and are complicating plans for a still-unlaunched mid-size jet to compete with Boeing Co.'s 787.
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