THIS WEEK, ON LOST:

Doubts cast on second Airbus project: report (Reuters, October 5, 2006)

Airbus parent EADS reportedly raised the specter for the first time on Thursday that the woes affecting its A380 superjumbo could endanger its A350 mid-sized airliner project, sending its shares lower again.

Asked if the future A350 could be in danger because of EADS's problems, co-CEO Thomas Enders was quoted in Thursday's Financial Times as saying: "I cannot rule that out."

EADS was not immediately available to comment.

The A350 is Airbus's answer to the hot-selling Boeing 787, but faces a redesign to produce a wider version known as the A350 XWB because many airlines rejected the first proposal.

Analysts estimate the new plane could cost 8 billion euros instead of 4 billion to develop, eating into cash that is already being drained by a two-year delay in the A380 project.