Its Airbus stake sale will dilute BAE's earnings but the firm is expected to use some of the proceeds on new acquisitions. Airbus contributed £254 million in profits before taxation on sales of £3 billion for BAE in 2005. The world's airlines were forced to review growth plans yesterday after Airbus revealed more delays to its troubled A380 superjumbo. Here are some key facts on how the mammoth double-decker aircraft measures up: * Airbus has sold 143 passenger versions of the plane to 14 airlines.