I don't find this so hard to believe. The Airbus does have significant customizable entertainment options and wiring is still largely a manual process for all but small high-volume mass produced products.

terminating wires still remains one of the most costly, labor-intensive and error prone activities in deploying control systems of every kind.

Since the early 90s, big efforts have been made to use serial communication rather than discrete wires, but that's no picnic either--there are lots of rules about the bus and drop length and many things can and do go wrong.

Further research has revealed that the wiring problem is due to the french and germans using two different versions of the CAD/CAM software.

Apparently, deliveries of the a380 beyond the 12 airframes already on the floor are halted until almost 2010.

The a380 is a plane in search of a market that won't exist in any form to ever allow AirBus earn a profit in excess of their even low and unique cost of capital. AirBus can either recognize that the market for point to point aircraft is huge and use this opportunity to dump this elephant and devote engineering resources to planes that compete with the 787 or it can lunber along in attempts to salvage "French pride" and starve non a380 efforts.

The problems plaguing Airbus are many, most of which are attributable to their upper management, some of whom have almost departed! apparently some who resigned are still on retainer as consultants. Besides all the delays, the problems with wiring may only be the tip of the iceberg.

Was the same CAD/CAM software used to design other components? and if so, do they fit together as they should? and the scary part! would anyone at Airbus know about it who would tell the public!

The Aircraft buyers have a vested interest in making Airbus survive! to ensure competitive pricing and availability of the proper models. But they can only wait for so long, time marches on! the buyers of Boeings aircraft are lined up out the door, they want to ensure they have the right aircraft at the right time!

Airbus is in very dire straits, the only aircraft that are selling are the 320 and 330 models, the A340 is extinct and will disappear, the sales of the A380 are to put it politely a disaster.

There are rumours circulating in the Industry that BA will buy 747I's and 787's after their strike problems are resolved, and Emirates is extremely PO'd with Airbus and is buying Boeings by the bunch, and of course we all await the official announcement from UPS!

I sold my EADS shares 2 years ago! man was I lucky.

theres a book called airbus vs. boeing by john newhouse that just came out on jan 16th. Its excellent.

Are you PuttFarcken me on?
Seriously Frank, I think you're being unduly harsh. After all, the space shuttle fleet was built this way and the reliability on that program has been.... oh wait.
Never mind.
Hmm, well, let's put it another way.
That camel will fly about as well as UN resolutions curbing Iranian terror and weapons programs.
And may I leave off on the note - the common elements between the two issues noted above are?