Airbus is going to have two A380s at the Le Bourget air show this summer. But don't be fooled, the aircraft maker actually will have a much smaller presence at the event than usual -- largely thanks to the A380. The financial crisis created at Airbus parent EADS last year by A380 delays, leading to reduced cash flow, delay penalties, and contract cancellations, has caused to some serious belt tightening. And, with the Power8 program underway to restructure Airbus and shed 10,000 positions, there was a feeling a large airshow presence would be both fiscally unsound and politically foolish. So EADS has cut the space it will be renting at the air show, and it and Airbus will share real-estate, which they historically have not done. By then way, if anyone is wondering if the first A380 to go to a customer will be there, the answer is no. That Singapore Airlines-bound aircraft will be too busy getting ready for the handover several months after Le Bourget.
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