US disputes EU claim of WTO-Airbus compliance, threatens sanctions

As Yogi Berra once said, “it ain’t over till it’s over.” The US Trade Representative rejected EU claims that it had complied with WTO rulings that Airbus received illegal subsidies and that these had been repaid. Here is… Read More

Airbus repays launch aid on WTO complaint but has drawn aid for A350

Airbus has repaid nearly 2bn Euros in launch aid associated with the findings of the WTO complaint filed in 2004 by the US Trade Representative, an amount far less than the American agency alleged as US$25bn in illegal… Read More

Odds and Ends: A350, 737MAX, 787; ACG is #10; and more

Guessing Game: The mysterious nine customers for the 737 MAX continues to confound observers. Actually, there were nine before Aviation Capital Group signed up, so ACG was #10. American Airlines Lion Air Aviation Capital Group GECAS COPA GOL… Read More

A350 EIS delayed from 2H2013 to 1H2014

EADS announced today (Thursday in France, Wednesday night in Seattle) what many of us have been expecting for some time: the entry-into-service (EIS) of the A350-900 will slip into 2014 from late 2013. “Maturity of the A350 XWB… Read More

Odds and Ends: Qatar, Cargolux and GE

For those who don’t believe there was a connection between the Cargolux-Boeing-GE dispute and the 787 and Qatar, watch the Dubai Air Show. We’re hearing Qatar will sign announce it has selected GEnx for the 787. Speaking of… Read More

A hint of things to come–Lufthansa 787 order?

Lufthansa Technik “is set to become a leading 787 MRO” following a deal with JAL, blares a headline in AviTrader’s current issue of MRO magazine. The magazine writes: Lufthansa Technik will become one of the world’s leading 787… Read More

Airbus chief bemoans slow pace of change: Aviation Week

Robert Wall has this short article that raises an interesting point. Tom Enders, the CEO of Airbus, “bemoans” the slow pace of change in aviation. He is quoted as saying that the aviation industry has forgotten how to… Read More

Reporting from ISTAT next week

We’re off to the ISTAT Europe conference and will be reporting next week from Barcelona. In the meantime, here is a PR faux pas, one of those embarrassing slips that we with warped senses of humor can’t pass… Read More

Airbus affirms A350-800 future, but skeptics doubt it

Airbus confirmed at the Paris Air Show what we reported two weeks earlier, and that is the A350-1000 was going to be rescheduled to allow Rolls-Royce and Airbus to tweak the airplane for more power, longer range and… Read More

Qatar, the launch customer, gives harsh critique of A350 revamp

There’s nothing we can add to this account.