Airbus sees record production in 2005

[dArKeR]

Frankfurt - European aircraft maker Airbus expects to build a record number of aircraft - 385 in all - in 2005, compared with 306 this year and 313 next year, the Financial Times Deutschland reported on Friday, quoting internal group documents.

Airbus is expecting to build 262 A320 jets and 84 A330 and 340 aircraft in 2005, the newspaper said.

FT Deutschland quoted an Airbus spokeswoman as refusing to comment on the information. She noted that Airbus only ever publishes the number of aircraft delivered, not the number of aircraft built.

http://www.busrep.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=552&fArticleId=244732

[rapier]

1. notes

I've read assesments saying Boeing would be out of the commercial aircraft bussiness in 10 years. True or not the meme is alive.

The dirty deal that went under the bridge a few weeks ago about the leased Boeing air tankers @ $4 billion more than they could have been bought is to be seen as a direct subsidy. EVERYONE knows it. Boeing, the Pentagon and congress. They think it's OK because Airbus is subsidized too. (The level of subsidy there now I don't know. Unless they are selling these planes at a loss sounds like they are doing OK to me and don' tneed direct subsidies. I'm sure all sorts of indirect ones are endemic)

The strong dollar probably hurts Boeing but I have a sesnse that now and going forward that animosity towards the US is going to hurt them more.

Aircraft export is or was a significant trade item for the US. With our gigantic trade balance problem the cratering of Boeing exports is just one more nail in the coffin. Perhaps more important than the trade balance is the national prestige and pride that aircraft production carries. It will be a psychological blow to all those who take such misplaced national pride (50% of Americans? 75%?) if Boeing stops making airliners

[Resistance Is Futile]

2. Boeing's problems are self inflicted

Boeing civil aviation got complacent and shot themselves in the foot some years back. They failed to understand that competition means that the market will not buy what you want to build but rather what it needs. No one wanted the Sonic Cruiser, for instance. Boeing has been unable to developed any viable designs since the 777 and they're paying for that failure now.

Boeing's decline in the civil aviation field has very little if anything to do with an antiamerican backlash. Airbus just happens to do a better job of building aircraft that the airlines want to buy.