Agence France-Presse, Germany may demand compensation from EADS for delayed deliveries of A400M military transport aircraft, a financial daily said Nov. 13.
“We’re waiting for updated delivery schedules for the time being, and will then make a decision on that basis,” the Handelsblatt quoted a spokesman for the German defense ministry as saying.
He added that the government would maintain all of its contractual options, including cancellation and damage payment.
EADS initially planned to deliver the first A400M military transporter plane in mid-2010 but delayed the schedule by 12 months because of technical problems.
The aircraft is Europe’s response to the ageing C-130 Hercules transporter, produced by Lockheed. EADS has said it will have greater airlift capacity and range than both the Hercules and the Transall, another aging but widely used military transport plane.
The A400M was launched by seven countries in May 2003. Germany has ordered 60 planes, France 50, Spain 27, Britain 25, Turkey 10, Belgium 7 and Luxembourg 1.
