European planemaker Airbus cut its 2009 delivery target for A380 superjumbos, the latest in a series of cutbacks, this time blaming the economic crisis and deferral requests from airline customers.

Airbus now expects to deliver 14 of the double-decker planes, the world's largest airliners, down from its latest goal of 18.

The move marks the first time Airbus has cut wide-body production during the current downturn as airlines reduce capacity to weather the worst industry crisis in decades.

Rival Boeing announced wide-body plane production cuts last month.

Global airlines body IATA warned last week that swine flu would compound financial problems for airlines, already hit by the global economic crisis which pushed passenger numbers down 11.1 per cent in March compared with a year ago.

Long-haul traffic which is expected to drive the business case for the 525-seat A380 is seen as most severely affected.

The planemaker also gave a target for next year of more than 20 deliveries, but this is below most analysts' forecasts of at least 25 deliveries.

Subsequent delivery and production rates depended on airline demand and customer financing availability, Airbus said.

Shares in Airbus parent EADS shrugged off the news to rise three per cent in line with a firmer market, buoyed by positive US jobs data giving some respite from the economic gloom.

"Due to the current economic and aviation crisis and following specific customer requests for deferrals, Airbus is adapting its A380 aircraft delivery schedule for 2009/2010," the planemaker said.

The A380 is over two years behind schedule because of wiring installation problems, blamed for previous reductions to the delivery target. The company had reaffirmed its A380 schedule for this year as recently as a month ago.

Last week's announcement showed airline customers, many of whom had previously been compensated for production delays, are now being forced themselves to negotiate later delivery times because of the crisis hitting the aviation industry. Airbus declined to identify the buyers of the four delayed aircraft in 2009 but at least one is likely to belong to Qantas, which said last month it would defer a total of four A380 orders as it announced 1,750 job cuts and issued a profit warning.

Also due to receive A380s in 2009 are Singapore Airlines and Dubai's Emirates, while Air France is due to add the first superjumbos to its fleet.

Emirates, the biggest A380 customer with 58 on order, told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday that it was sticking to its $55 billion order book.

However, it said in March that it would stop flying the plane on its New York route because of the worldwide recession.

China Southern was reported by media recently to be considering delaying orders for superjumbos due from 2011.

Airbus said it would take "mitigating actions" against the negative effects of the new A380 plan on free cash flow, but there would be no significant impact on operating income.

While the slowdown gives Airbus more time to manage the painful transition to a new automated phase of A380 production as it recovers from the wiring problems it could tie up more working capital as the queue of unfinished jets swells.

The planemaker, owned by aerospace group EADS, confirmed its plan, announced in February, to cut the production rate of its A320 aircraft family to 34 a month from 36 from October and said development of the new A350 XWB continued at "full speed". A330/340 production stands at 8.5 aircraft a month.

Airbus also confirmed its ambition to deliver about the same number of aircraft overall this year as in 2008, which was a record year for the company with 483 deliveries. Airbus delivered 12 A380s in 2008 and 1 in 2007.

The aircraft is marketed for a list price of $327 million but airlines generally negotiate discounts.

Chicago-based Boeing said last month output of its 777 wide-body twin-jet would fall to five planes a month from seven starting in June 2010, saying this would erode earnings.

It added that it would postpone modest planned production increases of its 747-8 and 767 widebody planes.

World airlines are set to lose $4.7 billion this year as a result of the global downturn that has shrunk passenger and cargo demand, IATA estimated at the end of March.