Singapore Airlines Ltd. will delay introduction of its 11th Airbus SAS A380 after a Japanese contractor failed to deliver seats on time, joining a growing list of airlines suffering from design glitches at the supplier.

The carrier’s plan to overhaul first-class cabins in Boeing Co. 777-300s is also affected, Singapore Air spokesman Nicholas Ionides said. He didn’t say when the A380, due last month, will enter service. No flights have been disrupted.

“If airline seats don’t meet any sort of requirement, they’re illegal and have to be fixed,” said Hans Weber, president of San Diego-based Tecop International, who has advised the US Federal Aviation Administration. “It’s black and white – you either meet the requirement or you don’t.”

Equipment flaws ripple through the airline industry as manufacturers rely on thousands of suppliers to meet safety standards and delivery schedules. Singapore is among carriers including All Nippon Airways Co., Continental Airlines Inc. and Japan Airlines Corp. with delays on Airbus or Boeing models or forced seat changes after supplier Koito Industries Ltd. failed to deliver on time or according to specification.

Koito spokesman Yoichiro Kuroiwa said an axle in a new seat design failed a safety test in Japan, pushing back by six months All Nippon’s plan to take new planes. He declined to discuss other airlines.

The company is based in Yokohama. (Bloomberg)