Air Berlin May Scale Back Plane Orders

Air Berlin could cancel or defer some of its outstanding aircraft orders, the German carrier's CEO told German trade magazine fvw.

"So far we have stuck with our (orders) plan. But it could be that we adjust that," Joachim Hunold told fvw in an interview published Friday.

Air Berlin's outstanding orders include 25 Boeing 787 Dreamliner planes for delivery between 2013 and 2017.

"There are currently no plans to cancel orders for the Dreamliner," an Air Berlin spokesman said.

According to the company's quarterly report to the end of March it is also still expecting delivery of 4 Q400s built by Bombardier, 26 A320 family aircraft from Airbus and a total 91 Boeing 737-700s and 737-800s.

Plane makers have suffered as travel demand has dried up in the global economic downturn and financing has become more difficult to obtain, prompting several airlines to cancel or defer orders for aircraft.