Airbus has quietly pushed back A330-800 certification to next year, shifting the timeline for approval of the smaller A330neo variant.
Chief executive Guillaume Faury, speaking during a nine-month financial briefing on 30 October, said the A330-800's type certification would take place in "early 2020".
The airframer had been aiming to keep the aircraft on track for certification in the second half of this year.
Faury did not elaborate on the reasons for the deferral, although demand for the A330-800 has been weak – just 10 are on order – and the airframer has been dealing with high-priority issues such as the ramp-up of its single-aisle lines.
Kuwait Airways is due to take eight A330-800s while Uganda Airlines is intending to receive two.
A330neo output was slow to pick up this year, the first deliveries of the A330-900 taking place in March.
Over the first six months Airbus delivered 13 A330neos but the rate increased in the third quarter to take the nine-month total to 26.
Airbus has secured total orders for 250 A330-900s of which 29 have been delivered.
