Each convoy consists of what make a camera

"The commercial has award-winning on the industrial, and customers have become too temperamental, to amend the interiors." "It has become unmanageable," explained an engineer. The situation is even more critical that the construction of the largest airliner in the world is the result of a giant puzzle. The main elements of the aircraft are France, Belgium, Germany, the United Kingdom and Spain, but almost half of the elements used in the manufacture of the aircraft are made beyond the borders of Europe. This is no longer a secret, its design and manufacture are a real feat. Assembled in Toulouse-Blagnac, the A380 is the result of a giant puzzle, which goes far beyond the borders of the European Union. The main elements of the aircraft come from France, of Belgium, Germany, of the United Kingdom and Spain, but almost half of the elements used in the manufacture of the aircraft are manufactured outside Europe, including the United States and the Japan.

Total 157 companies from 20 countries are close or far in the realization of the A380, which some had to fund themselves studies and tools for the design of the parts. All these partners are integrated in a complex provider chain, whose objective is to ensure the delivery of all items on the sixteen sites for the manufacture of Airbus in Europe. Each piece of the aircraft is the result of this system of "supply chain". Prior to be assembled at the plant in Hamburg, the forward fuselage sections, central and rear thus consist of parts manufactured in Varel and Nordenham, in Germany. The ultimate step is assembling in the Jean-Luc Lagardere of Toulouse - Blagnac hall. The sections of fuselage and vertical tail just Germany, the wings of Britain, the central segment of Saint-Nazaire and the horizontal tail of Spain. Come by sea, the main elements are sent to Pauillac, near Bordeaux, where they are loaded onto two river barges to reach Langon, before ending their journey at night, specially enlarged road to Toulouse. Each convoy consists of what make a camera. At a trip a week, Airbus thus plans to build four aircraft per month.

This beautiful fragmented organization and the result of multiple international cooperation on the very large carrier of Airbus and the aircraft manufacturer was perhaps ill-prepared across the Supply Chain to avoid skidding and especially on Toulouse becomes a bottleneck for delivered equipment. "The Toulouse plant became a garbage can, everyone book and there are far too many sections that come us with a package of amendments to, is an untenable situation," says an engineer.

Airbus executives would have been well advised to seek advice to their counterparts in the automotive industry, broken for many years on the operation of assembly plants that work with OEMs exploded at the four corners of the world. But to make the organization work without too many clashes, requires that the program be frozen at a given time and that all subsequent amendments are no if they are needed. However, it seems that for the A380, customers have often asked ultimate changes. They had torts, when sold them the A380 as the "cruise ship from the air"

Finally, if the announcement of the delay in the delivery of the A380 has severely chipped the credibility of the EADS management, on the other hand, equipment and airports, we breathe, because this extra time which is thus granted will allow them to be ready. Providers as Zodiac, saffron, Rockwell, Thales CAE, Honeywell, Alenia, Pratt & Whitney, BE Aerospace, Hamilton Sunstrand, Latécoère, Liebher... must tricks, since any delay regrowth as the deadline for a return on investment. However, OEMs are serene, because they rely on the increase in the production of A320 rates (goal of 34 aircraft per month) and their other client, Boeing, to compensate for the delays in the A380. It is perhaps on SMEs - aeronautical PMI that the impact will be more than feel.

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Scenarios for EADS-Airbus

In September that the des marchés financiers (AMF) authority should report that will tell if there was or not tort of insiders. This deadline leaves time in German and French EADS shareholders to prepare for the future and fix past mistakes.

-The first emergency is to restore financial credibility to EADS to markets and undermine the image of "happy foutoir in Toulouse", in the words of a Parisian analyst. For this mission, it must be a financial profile, we think of course of Philippe Camus, former co-Chairman of EADS, which has the favour of the markets. Front of him, the name of Louis Gallois is advanced recursively, but "Louis Gallois was never managed a listed company", note disingenuously a banker.

-The shareholders Pact should know a few changes. One of the explored is both Chairman and two co-Chairman, the new management structure is composed of a chairman and a vice chairman and a CEO and a vice-CEO.

-Finally, the string industrial Airbus. Already, the German party, in particular the IG Metall Union, would have accepted changes in the Organization of the Airbus for the A380 chain that would go towards rationalization. Many are those who think that Louis Gallois would be the man to lead the aircraft manufacturer, but the President of the SNCF to be proposed in vain the position of co - CEO of EADS, would better be the head of EADS, one. Vanitas vanitatum, and omnia vanitas.

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A380 not before 2008 for Emirates

the biggest customer of Airbus for the A380, with 45 aircraft ordered, only passenger version. The Dubai company will receive its first aircraft in October 2007, and will put it into service in January 2008. Is - what if serious Not necessarily. The Dubai company entrusted to Aéroports de Paris terminal new building (Concourse 2 & 3) from the airport of Dubai which must be delivered to the Emirates company where it will operate its fleet of 45 A380s. Paris airports is owner and designer of this airport equipment. A delay of at least six months in the delivery of the terminal is discussed openly by Emirates which gives as dates, June or July 2007. In addition, Emirates signed a contract for two options for the-600, un A340 aircraft which does not appear to satisfy the market. The Dubai company might be tempted to renegotiate its options on the A340-600 into options on the A350 (or A370), or even on other A380. What should not be surprised both Emirates is confident in its air development and Dubai company has an urgent need for the A380, a device which it regards as a key element of its future development. Indeed, from the point of view of the operation, Emirates has suggested that the delay in delivery of the A380 will cost him "several points of growth in 2007". The company is negotiating for several weeks with Airbus the amount of allowances that it intends to collect in respect of compensation. Negotiations are also involved with other client companies, and is today one of the secrets best kept at Airbus.

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Entertainment systems, new black beast of the A380

Singapore Airlines and Emirates, the two first Airbus customers to receive their A380, would have serious concerns with Panasonic, their distraction equipment provider and multimedia to be fitted on Board (IFE). The industrialist would meet difficulties of development with its multimedia systems. Singapore Airlines preparing to reopen the invitation to tender for its A380, according to our information. Questioned, the airline is bounded to indicate that "the choice of IFE Provider was not yet arrested and that his name would be release in October." If Panasonic is unable to perform his contract, it is a beautiful opportunity for Thales Aerospace who lost these two contracts. The European industry has already won the A380 for Malaysia Airlines and Etihad Air France equipment. "The price of a complete multimedia system for an A380 is the order of $ 6 million and it takes at least six months for the integration of the system", explains the IFE systems specialist. If Singapore Airlines may receive its A380 in December, this is not the fault of Airbus.