EU, USA agree Airbus, Boeing aid talks [Archive]

ElectroVlasic

13th Jan 2005, 02:36

Yesterday's announcement rules out any short-term government funding for the new Airbus A350, which the four-nation plane maker plans to build to compete with the 7E7. Noel Forgeard, the Airbus chief executive, said he intends to apply for up to €1bn in refundable launch aid.
Another questionable press statement: short term really just means three months, and since the A350 is still very early on, it's not all that significant.

But it does make one wonder: if the A350 cannot get launch aid, will that dampen Airbus's enthusiasm for it?

There's a related article here (http://news.independent.co.uk/business/comment/story.jsp?story=599994)
It was a piece of naked electioneering when President George Bush carted the EU off to the World Trade Organisation last autumn in protest at the huge dollops of taxpayers' cash given to the Airbus programme. But just because he's now safely back in the White House doesn't mean he's about to relax his position.In my opinion, that's pretty cynical. Election or no election, whomever was the sitting president, be it Democrat, Republican or other, would see the merit in standing up for Mother Boeing under the circumstances. I'm no GWB lover, but it seems there's absolutely no benefit of any doubts any more, which says more about the reporter than about GWB.
But bringing about an end to subsidies on both sides when Boeing receives so much non-refundable back-door aid through the likes of Nasa and the Pentagon has proved elusive.
Not a mention of BAe or EADS and their defense businesses being larger than Boeing's, or the A440M, etc. Yes, I know it's old news, but why can't they get this part right ever?

--ev--