Airbus softened its key target for jet deliveries Wednesday and warned that reaching it would be a "greater stretch" after a sequence of industrial problems. The cautious tone on deliveries - which implied a 2% cut in the annual target by changing its parameters to include a recently acquired Canadian jet - came despite higher than expected Q3 core earnings and strong demand from airlines. The company has been struggling with fresh industrial problems as production of its fast-selling A321neo passenger jet hit a snag in Hamburg, Germany, even as bottlenecks eased at some engine makers. Airbus stuck to its headline target of around 800 commercial deliveries in 2018 but disclosed this now included 18 deliveries of the Bombardier CSeries jet, renamed A220. <br/>
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The industrial dispute between baggage handlers and airport handling company Aviapartner at Brussels Airport has been resolved, with operations returning to normal during Wednesday. The strike has caused the cancellation of 960 flights over 6 days, affecting close to 115,000 passengers. Brussels Airport said it is “pleased that Aviapartner and the company’s trade unions were able to reach terms on an agreement, but also deplores the major impact this unannounced strike has had on passengers and airlines, particularly as it came during the autumn half-term holiday.” The airport said it had tried to minimise the inconvenience for passengers, and it and the airlines involved had done as much as they could to assist passengers and keep them informed of developments during the strike. <br/>