Airbus meets A380 target

PARIS: European plane maker Airbus said on Tuesday that it has met its target of delivering 12 A380 superjumbos this year -with just 2 days to spare.

In a bid to reassure customers, CEO Tom Enders had wagered reporters a magnum of Champagne during a September news conference that Airbus would reach its A380 target this year. No one accepted his bet.

On Tuesday, in a statement, Enders announced, ``we have met our 2008 delivery schedule.'' He thanked ``a tremendous team effort.''

Image-tarnishing delays, technical problems and missteps dating back to 2005 slowed the plane's development.

The final A380 delivered this year was handed over Tuesday to Dubai's Emirates airline, which has a total of 4 superjumbos.

Singapore Airlines took an additional 5 A380s this year. Australia's Qantas received 3.

Airbus has booked a total of 198 orders for the A380 from 16 customers.