- Title: FRANCE: JACQUES CHIRAC OPENS 45TH PARIS AIR SHOW.
- Date: 15th June 2003
- Summary: (EU) LE BOURGET, NEAR PARIS, FRANCE (JUNE 14, 2003) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. GV: PARIS AIR SHOW 0.04 2. MV: JET FIGHTER ON DISPLAY 0.08 3. GV/GV/PAN: VARIOUS OF AIRBUS A-318 PLANE TAXIING ON RUNWAY, TAKING OFF, THEN MAKING SHARP TURN IN THE AIR (3 SHOTS) 0.28 4. MV: FRENCH PRESIDENT JACQUES CHIRAC, FOLLOWED BY FRENCH DEFENSE MINISTER MICHELE ALLIOT-MARIE ARRIVING AT PARIS AIRSHOW 0.37 5. GV/MCU: VARIOUS OF CHIRAC LOOKING AT MODEL OF AIRBUS A-400, SIGNING IT, AUTOGRAPH SAYING: "Well done and have a good journey" (3 SHOTS) 0.50 6. GV/LV: AIR FRANCE CONCORDE COMING INTO LAND (2 SHOTS) 1.00 7. MV: CHIRAC AND ALLIOT-MARIE WATCHING CONCORDE 1.06 8. GV/PAN: CONCORDE LANDING 1.19 9. GV/PAN: EXHIBITS, INCLUDING ARIANE ROCKET IN BACKGROUND 1.29 10. GV: HELICOPTER 1.37 11. GV/CU: VARIOUS OF BOEING 777-300, MAN TAKING PHOTOGRAPH (3 SHOTS) 1.50 12. MCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) JIM SCHLUETER, DIRECTOR INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS OF BOEING SAYING: "It had some effects on the commercial and military sides but the air shows are an important venue for us to showcase our products, to continue to build the relationships we have with our customers, talk with the media and really point out that we have a long and strong future in the aerospace business for many years to come." 2.11 13. GV/MV: HELICOPTER AND AIRCRAFT (3 SHOTS) 2.25 14. MCU: (SOUNDBITE) (French) YVES BONNET, GENERAL COMMISSIONER OF THE BOURGET AIR SHOW SAYING: "International conditions have brought in an economic slowdown, but this industry has been through this several times in the past, and we know that it is during these times that we should prepare for the future, design new planes, Airbus is doing precisely this with the A-380, Boeing is doing the same with it's new plane, whose name they may unveil at the show. I don't think it will slow things down, of course, these are somehow adverse circumstances which will make certain things more difficult, but as a whole, the aeronautical business and the space business will all go on." 2.54 15. GV: FIGHTER PLANE FLYING OVERHEAD, MAKING SHARP TURNS, SPINNING AND FLYING UPSIDE DOWN 3.19 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 30th June 2003 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: LE BOURGET, NEAR PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Reuters ID: LVA5RWQC2VQDVA8YZFH6VZRSSA44
- Story Text: French President Jacques Chirac has inaugurated the
45th Paris Air Show, without a single top executive from a
leading U.S. defence contractor attending.
Lingering US resentment over France's staunch opposition
to the war in Iraq is making itself felt and France has
accused America of waging an "economic war" on Europe.
French President Jacques Chirac inaugurated the 45th
Paris Air Show on Saturday (June 14), the biggest aeronautical
and space show in the world, showcasing the latest in space
and communications, robotics, metals and materials,
on-board cabin comforts and the business of aviation.
This years Paris Air Show was supposed to be a celebration
of French-American cooperation in the 100 years since the
first
flight of the Wright brothers. Instead, the worlds largest and
oldest aerospace industry gathering is tarnished by a row
between Paris and Washington.
This year, lingering U.S. resentment over Frances staunch
opposition to the war in Iraq has led the U.S. Defense
Department to scale back sharply on its participation at the
show, which dates back to 1909 and runs from June 15-22.
The 45th Paris Air Show kicked off without the presence of
a single top executive from a leading U.S. defence contractor.
Airbus, Toulouse-based aircraft manufacturer, featured its
new A318 which participated in the flying display. Many other
Airbus products, concepts and services were also on exhibit
during the show.
Sealing the end of an era, the Concorde landed in Paris Le
Bourget airport in front of President Jacques Chirac, for the
very last time.
Air France chairman, Jean-Cyril Spinetta, took the
opportunity of the Air-show to donate one Concorde --the
droop-noosed supersonic jet which ended its run on May 31-- to
the French Air and Space Museum in Le Bourget.
This years event comes amid a sharp downturn in demand
for air travel which has sent some leading U.S. airlines into
bankruptcy and forced the top jet makers to scale back
production.
France's Defence Minister Michele Alliot-Marie on Saturday
(June 14) urged European firms to stand together
to resist what she called an American "economic war".
Her remarks coincided with the opening of the Paris Air
Show where European and American planemakers traditionally
battle for
airline orders, but which has been tainted this year by
tensions over France's opposition to the recent U.S.-led war
in Iraq.
In an interview with the daily Le Monde, she said American
industrialists were pursuing a logic of "economic war." She
called on the European industry to regroup in order to be in a
better position to resist.
Alliot-Marie said she was worried by what she sees as
moves by U.S. investors to attempt to take control of firms
involved
in European defence and had ordered a study into the issue.
In a snub to the French, industry officials say U.S.
resentment over France's opposition to the war has led the
Pentagon to scale down its presence at the prestigious air
show by banning the traditional displays of its warplanes.
Leading U.S. aerospace firms like Boeing and Lockheed
Martin appear to have followed the government's lead,
keeping top executives at home.
Jim Schlueter, Director of international communications
for Boeing, said he was optimistic about the future.
"It had some effects on the commercial and military sides
but the air shows are an important venue for us to showcase
our products, to continue to build the relationships we have
with our customers, talk with the media
and really point out that we have a long and strong future in
the aerospace business for many years to come."
Yves Bonnet, general commissioner for the Bourget air
show, said international conditions had resulted in a
slow-down in the business.
"International conditions have brought in an economic
slowdown, but this industry has been through this several
times in the past, and we know that it is during these times
that we should prepare for the future, design new planes,
Airbus is doing precisely this with the A-380, Boeing is doing
the same with it's new plane, whose name they may unveil at
the show. I don't think it will slow things down, of course,
these are somehow adverse circumstances which will make
certain things more difficult, but as a whole, the
aeronautical business and the space business will all go on."
Alliot-Marie said military and intelligence co-operation
between Paris and Washington had been unaffected by the
diplomatic split over Iraq.
But she made plain relations remain strained with her U.S.
counterpart Donald Rumsfeld, whose "Old Europe" jibe during
the
Iraq dispute infuriated both France and Germany.
"The American Defense Secretary believes the United States
is the only military, economic and financial power in the
world.
We do not share this vision," Alliot-Marie said.
Still, several large contracts are expected to be
announced over the course of the next week, including an order
for about
60 aircraft from Dubai-based Emirates, expected to be split
between European jet maker Airbus and its U.S. rival Boeing
and
to include a purchase of Airbus A380 superjumbos.
Qatar Airways is seen buying about 30 planes from both
manufacturers and Thai Airways could finalise plans to buy
eight
A340 Airbus wide-body jets.
But those contracts are unlikely to herald a renaissance
in aircraft demand, with most analysts saying a genuine
recovery
is still up to two years away.
Some 1,700 exhibitors from 38 countries are on hand this
year at the Paris Air Show and more than 500,000 visitors are
expected, but show organisers say participation, based on
reserved stand space, is down roughly five percent from 2001.
About 201 aircraft will be on display versus 226 two years
ago, and about 50 of those will take part in fly-bys, down
from 66.
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