FACED with an aircraft surplus amid a business downturn, Singapore Airlines has decided to defer the deliveries of eight Airbus 380 superjumbos, by up to a year.

The airline announced on Thursday that under the new schedule agreed with Airbus, its 12th to 19th aircraft will arrive six to 12 months later than originally planned.

Aircraft number 12 will be delivered in October instead of April 2010, while the last plane will join the fleet in January 2012 instead of 2011.

SIA, which was the first to operate the double-decker jet in 2007, now has nine A380s flying.

Two more will be delivered as planned before end-March next year.

In a statement on Thursday, the airline said it is 'satisfied with the operational and commercial performance of its A380s' which it currently operates to London, Sydney, Tokyo, Paris and Hong Kong.

The deferment 'is another measure that will help us better match capacity to demand during a downturn,' said SIA's spokesman when contacted.

He declined to reveal details of the agreement with Airbus, saying that these were confidential.