According to reports divined from multiple sources, Airbus is currently facing a technology-induced but management created challenge in getting the A380 back on track for delivery. The delays have injured brand confidence and will take a big bite out of profits in the coming years.
Meanwhile, we have the A350 programme which was not ambitious enough in it's original design goals that must be re-born.
If management allows the Airbus engineers to work together properly, the technological challenges will be conquered with relative ease.
The economic challenge - minimising the impact of the A380 and A350 issues on EADS future profits and success is not an easy one to resolve - due in no small part to politics and the individual countries involved. A company outsider was surely needed to examine the situation and propose the very likely unpopular changes in order to rescue Airbus from its own (mis-) management.
M. Streiff must have understood the economic hardships and the unavoidable political wrangling ahead for his charge before signing up. His 100 day proposal seems to bear this out. Perhaps Streiff's bailout can be considered the first step towards Airbus' recovery.
A tentative plan has been put forth. Now it is up to the Franco-German majority powers of EADS to work out the details and then stand together as a united group.
Management's failures involve both the economic losses suffered by EADS and it's partners and taxpayer-investors as well as those to be endured by the industrial employees - and then there is the undeserved tarnish on an otherwise brilliant company's reputation.......
They must redeem themselves with a perhaps uncharacteristic disregard for personal or political cost.
Last edited by vapilot2004; 10th Oct 2006 at 08:55.
Reason: clarity