European airplane maker Airbus is "comfortable" with delivery commitments for its future A350 long-distance passenger model, the company's chief operating officer said on August 27. "I am very comfortable that we will meet all our customers' delivery commitments on the A350," John Leahy told journalists.
Earlier an Airbus spokeswoman said that the first deliveries of the A350 would be made as expected in mid-2013 to Qatar Airways. "We are working to deliver our aircraft on time," she said in reaction from an article in French business newspaper Les Echos citing a research report that said the A350 would not be delivered before 2014.
The newspaper also said that the company had cut its production plans for the A350 according to information from subcontractors. In reaction, an Airbus source said that production estimates had to be adjusted because the original targets were made before the financial crisis.