US package carrier United Parcel Service could opt to replace outstanding orders for Airbus A300-600 cargo planes with A380 superjumbo orders, French daily La Tribune reported on Friday.
Without citing its sources, the paper said the acquisition of A380s was one of the options under study by UPS and Airbus as the US cargo group seeks to retool an order for 90 of the A300-600s. It has already received 35 of the aircraft.
An Airbus spokesman said it was company policy not to comment regarding ongoing discussions with customers.
In early March, the Wall Street Journal reported that UPS was seeking to cancel orders for at least 20 of the A300-600 jets worth over USD$1.6 billion.
The newspaper said the planes, which were intended for use on short-haul routes, were no longer wanted by UPS because of a shift in customer preferences towards less expensive ground-delivery networks.
Airbus said at the time it was in talks with UPS to reschedule some of the orders, but suggested it would be difficult for UPS to cancel the firm orders outright.
To date, only one US company has placed an order for the A380 -- UPS rival FedEx. Airbus has received orders for 129 of the planes from 11 customers.
