Airbus has abandoned talks on the sale of two French sites, part of the Franco-German aircraft maker’s cost-cutting programme, as concerns mount over possible new delays to deliveries of its flagship A380 superjumbo.

The global credit crisis on Tuesday appeared to have dealt a fatal blow to plans to sell sites at Méaulte and Saint Nazaire Ville to Latécoère, the French equipment supplier, much as volatile financial markets scuppered talks on three German sites less than two months ago.