Loss-making Malaysia Airlines (MAS) should defer the purchase of the giant A380 superjumbo jet from Airbus until the carrier returns to profit and others have tried out the aircraft, a union official said today.

"The company should put on hold the order for the A380 until the (MAS) restructuring plan is completed and when it is making a profit," Abdul Malek Ariff, secretary-general of the Malaysia Airlines Employees Union told AFP .

Abdul Malek said the carrier should take the opportunity of the new delays in the A380 programme to postpone the delivery date.

"Malaysia Airlines should only order the A380 when the company is back in profit," said Malek, whose union represents almost half of the carrier's 23,000 workforce.

Airbus told clients Tuesday that delivery of the A380, which is designed to carry 555-840 passengers, would be delayed by an additional six to seven months because of production problems.

In response, MAS said it was reviewing the terms of its purchase agreement for six A380s, of which three were to have been delivered originally in 2007.

Be cautious

Malek also said that MAS should allow other carriers such as Singapore Airlines to use the A380 first and evaluate its effectiveness.

"We urge Malaysia Airlines to be cautious. Let Singapore Airlines use it first and let us see if there are any problems," he said.

Analysts have previously said that MAS must concentrate first on a host of problems, including improving its poor financial health and high fuel costs, before it takes on the challenge of operating the A380.

The airline announced a RM4 billion turnaround plan in March after it posted a RM1.3 billion loss for 2005.

MAS blames its losses on crippling fuel prices and lower load factors but hopes to be back in the black by 2007 and to achieve record profitability the year after under the recovery plan which will see staff numbers reduced and many of its domestic routes transferred to budget carrier AirAsia.