Russia's Aeroflot to choose Airbus planes over Boeing [View All]

[NewJeffCT]

Way to support American business, Herr Cheney. This also happened a few years back right around when Iraq was invaded and a local firm here in CT lost out to Europeans despite a much lower bid...


MOSCOW (AFP) - Russian flagship airline Aeroflot is to buy planes from Europe's Airbus instead of US-based Boeing, in apparent retaliation for US opposition to Moscow joining the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

"This is a clear signal to the United States not to put too much pressure on Russia in WTO talks otherwise many lucrative contracts and privileges could go to the Europeans," Yaroslav Lissovolik -- an analyst from the Deutsche UFG investment house -- told Saturday's edition of the Vedomosti business newspaper.

In December 2005, Vedomosti had said Aeroflot was considering buying 22 Boeing 787s, known as "Dreamliners".

But on Saturday it reported an anonymous official in Russia's presidential administration as saying that Aeroflot's board of directors had last month "decided that Aeroflot should buy the Airbus-350 liners".

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060506/bs_afp/russiaeconomyaviation_060506152951