THE A380 PRODUCTION CRISIS: A GREAT AIRCRAFT STILL HAD TO BE BUILT
The A380 story needs the production difficulties alongside the first-flight photographs. Evidence reviewed in the WTO compliance report describes problems with electrical harnesses, digital design compatibility and the amount of rework required on early aircraft. Those were industrial integration problems, not a claim that a flying A380 could not perform its airline mission. They nevertheless disrupted delivery plans and consumed engineering effort at a particularly demanding point in Airbus history. [210, WT/DS316/RW, paragraph 6.509; A380 wiring and production difficulties]
Airbus was still revising the ramp-up in May 2008. Its own programme review distinguished individually completed early aircraft, Wave 1, from the intended serial process, Wave 2. It reduced the then-planned deliveries to 12 in 2008 and 21 in 2009, because early production was using more resources than expected. The distinction is revealing: successful flight testing, satisfied first operators and a factory capable of reliable volume output are three separate achievements. [211, Wave 1 / Wave 2 transition; revised 2008 and 2009 delivery plans]