JAPAN/FILE: Airbus CEO says that A400 won't be heading to the scrap heap

Record ID: 465520

  • Title: JAPAN/FILE: Airbus CEO says that A400 won't be heading to the scrap heap
  • Date: 26th February 2010
  • Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (FEBRUARY 25, 2010) (REUTERS) AIRBUS NEWS CONFERENCE WITH AIRBUS CEO TOM ENDERS JOURNALISTS LISTENING TO NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOM ENDERS, AIRBUS CEO, SAYING: "We have to accept that there are constraints on the budgets of our governments. We have to accept that the contractual situation did not favor us at all. And given these constraints, I would think that the nations come up with a very significant contribution and we are highly appreciative."
  • Embargoed: 13th March 2010 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Industry,Transport
  • Reuters ID: LVAA2675Q11KH6GP77YH4T3VF9CR
  • Story Text: Airbus CEO Tom Enders told reporters in Tokyo on Thursday (February 25) that an agreement to save Airbus' A400M military cargo transport is close.
    Speaking after the news conference, Enders told Reuters that the A400M has faced many hurdles in its development.
    "We have to accept that there are constraints on the budgets of our governments. We have to accept that the contractual situation did not favor us at all. And given these constraints, I would think that the nations come up with a very significant contribution and we are highly appreciative," said Enders.
    Airbus parent EADS has been negotiating for months with a group of NATO countries including non-EU member Turkey for billions of euros in aid to prevent the A400M project collapsing due to overruns that threatened 10,000 European jobs.
    Enders said any business in the same situation would fight for funding.
    "To fight for billions, a little more tenaciously, for weeks and months is certainly what you would expect a businessman to do. We are convinced we have a very good competitive product." he said.
    The A400M project stems from a 25-year-old effort to equip Europe with its own airlift fleet to support global operations, and Enders explained that he felt the A400M was the plane for the job.
    "And I'm quite confident that we will now be able to continue the program and to turn out a very competitive multi-role aircraft to the airforces," Enders told Reuters.
    Spanish Defence Minister Carme Chacon had said on Wednesday (February 24) that the long-awaited deal between the partner nations and Airbus parent EADS would be fleshed out on Thursday.
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