Airbus faces A330 delivery delays amid HNA Group woes, sources say

Airbus faces a logjam of undelivered A330 jets worth well over $1b for airlines affiliated to China’s debt-laden HNA Group following a stand-off over late payments, according to industry sources and a Reuters examination of parked aircraft. Companies belonging to the troubled Chinese aviation-to-finance conglomerate have delayed payments for several months, leading Airbus to withdraw deliveries rather than step in to finance the aircraft itself, the sources said. “After six months of talks, Airbus took the decision to withdraw the planes as it does not want to play the financier,” said a person familiar with discussions Wednesday. However, another person involved in the matter cautioned: “It is in the process of being resolved”. The cluster of undelivered A330 aircraft came to light on the sidelines of a ceremony to present Airbus’s smallest new jet. Five A330s were dotted around the delivery center and another parked further away - some with reflective sunshade protectors taped to the cockpit windows and all painted in the flame-red liveries of HNA Group airlines. These include Hainan Airlines, Beijing Capital Airlines and Tianjin Airlines.<br/>