Airbus to fly new freighter, doubt over buyer

By Tim Hepher

PARIS (Reuters) - European planemaker Airbus is preparing the maiden test flight of a new model of freighter plane, but doubts have emerged over the identity of its first operator as global trade remains in the grip of recession.

The EADS unit said on Wednesday it would fly the first cargo version of its mid-sized A330-200 passenger plane at its Toulouse headquarters on Thursday, barring poor weather.

Air freight accounts for almost half of world trade by value, according to airline industry figures.

Airbus launched development of the plane at the height of aircraft demand and a booming global economy in 2007, aiming to challenge Boeing's recent dominance of airborne trade.

The first buyer was Flyington Freighters, an Indian start-up promoted by the publisher of the Deccan Chronicle, which placed an order for 12 planes now worth $2.2 billion at list prices.

But industry sources told Reuters the Hyderabad-based firm, touted as India's first international all-freighter airline, would not now take the first delivery, which has been pushed back from the second-half of 2009 to spring and now summer 2010.

Airbus declined to say which company would first put the plane into service but a spokesman said it had "agreed with Flyington to reschedule deliveries," without elaborating.

Flyington was not available for comment.