unaligned

Airbus' latest order for the A380 superjumbo has reached an impasse amid drawn-out talks involving the engines, according to people familiar with the matter, possibly imperilling a crucial deal seen as a life-saver for the giant aircraft. The US$16b accord for as many as 36 additional double-decker aircraft has hit a snag as Emirates negotiates with Rolls-Royce on price and fuel burn on an engine that’s already falling short of performance parameters, said the people. The companies have missed a deadline to select the engines, possibly delaying first delivery in 2020 -- and even threatening the deal outright. Emirates, the A380’s only major customer, came to the rescue in January, signing on for more after months of tense back-and-forth. The carrier accounts for about half the total order book. <br/>

Ryanair will not be able to improve relations between pilots and management as long as Michael O’Leary is in charge, a union leader has said. John Moore, head of industrial relations at Balpa, issued the warning as he accused the CE of creating an “atmosphere of distrust”. Moore added: “If you asked one of our members, they would say that this does come from the top, that things will only improve if there is regime change.” He confirmed that negotiations between the union and the airline had not made “any meaningful progress on pay”, prompting an unsuccessful conclusion to the first round of talks and bringing strike action a step closer. “It’s possible that by December, we will have exhausted the internal process and we would then need to consider…an official ballot for industrial action,” said Moore. <br/>