The head of wing-making at Filton plane giant Airbus says he doubts there will be any significant downturn in production rates following a spate of order cancellations and deferrals.

Reports say that Ethiopian Airlines is postponing a purchase order of 12 A350 XWBs until it has been able to assess the new jet's technical performance.

The move follows a number of other deferrals this year, including a decision by Kuala Lumpur-based AirAsia, Asia's largest budget airline by fleet size, to roll back the delivery of eight Airbus A320 aircraft from 2010 to 2014.

Airlines around the world hit by a slump in passenger demand have been cancelling or deferring orders for new aircraft, although Airbus orders seem to have held up remarkably well.

Brian Fleet, senior vice-president, Centre of Excellence Wing and Pylon, Airbus UK, Airbus' wing-making factory at Filton and its sister site at Broughton, said: "Production rates are on hold and the company continues to watch the marketplace and review its production rates on an ongoing basis.

"Do we see significant reductions in production rates next year, over and above what we have already planned? No, we don't.

"We are still acquiring orders and our output this year will be similar to what it was last year."

The company, which has an order backlog for more than 3,000 aircraft, has reduced its planned output of A380 superjumbo wings from 18 sets to 14 this year, and has trimmed output of A320 wings from 36 sets to 34.

Mr Fleet said if there were no sudden and unexpected changes in the marketplace he did not envisage any significant job losses at Broughton other than the 250 positions, many of them agency staff, already being cut. The current workforce on site is about 6,500.

He added: "We are holding up quite well – that is the great thing about having a seven-year order backlog. It enables us to smooth out changes in our long-term plan."

Airbus delivered 288 aircraft in the first seven months of 2009, including four A380 superjumbos.

It still aims to book 300 orders for new aircraft during 2009 for delivery in future years.

The latest firm order is from Turkish Airlines which has signed a contract for the purchase of seven Airbus A330-300 aircraft.