The parent company of European Airbus has decided to suspend its research and development of the A380 cargo plane, and instead focus on the jumbo's passenger model.

Michael Hauger, spokesman of the European Aeronautic Defense & Space Co NV, said on March 1 that it's just a temporary suspension because the company wants to concentrate its production efforts, Xinhua news agency reported.

The company has drafted a new development schedule for the A380 cargo plane and expects to sell around 400 within 20 years, Hauger said.

On the same day, the spokeswoman with the European Airbus Anne de Crozals revealed the suspension was mainly because UPS, Airbus's latest customer of the A380 cargo plane, decided to postpone the receiving of the planes last week.

The project hasn't been canceled, but "we are not sure when it will restart," Crozals said.