UPDATE 2-Airbus names new A380 chief

(Recasts, adds Airbus spokeswoman comment)

PARIS, July 10 (Reuters) - European planemaker Airbus named a new head for its project to build the world's largest airliner on Thursday, after plucking its previous leader out of the job to fill a sudden gap at the helm of one if its key divisions.

It named 51-year-old Alain Flourens as head of the A380 superjumbo programme, replacing Mario Heinen who will run the planemaker's cross-border division responsible for fuselage and cabins across the Airbus fleet.

Cabin wiring problems have been blamed for delays of around two years in delivering the 525-seat double-decker A380 to airlines, helping to drive Airbus into the red.

The shake-up comes days before the world's largest air show at Farnborough in Britain, and two months after the EADS (EAD.PA: Quote, Profile, Research) unit announced the fourth set of A380 delivery delays. These could last three to five months on top of average delays of two years.

Flourens was previously a senior executive on production of the A320, the single-aisle plane that dominates Airbus sales.

Heinen had been in charge of the A380 for 22 months, after his predecessor, Charles Champion, was fired in the wake of delays which rocked Airbus and its parent EADS (EAD.PA: Quote, Profile, Research) in 2006.

He will run the "centre of excellence" for fuselages and cabins, which employs 15,000 people or almost a quarter of Airbus staff, following the abrupt departure of Ruediger Fuchs.

An Airbus spokeswoman declined to say why Fuchs had left the company but described the changes as a promotion for Heinen, saying he had been credited with stabilising the A380 project.