Amsterdam, 06
October
2005
Gustav Humbert and Noël Forgeard in an interview about the Airbus A350
The EADS Board of Directors has given the go ahead for Airbus to launch the industrial programme for a new A350 airliner family. This go ahead together with that received from BAE SYSTEMS, means that Airbus is now launching the programme.
“The A350 programme has a very promising business case,” the EADS CEOs Tom Enders and Noël Forgeard said. “The new airliner family will deliver strong value not only to Airbus customers but also to Airbus shareholders. With technologically advanced innovations, many of them stemming from the A380, the new aircraft is designed to be at the forefront of our ongoing strategy of offering our customers the most up-to-date and the most efficient passenger aircraft in the world. The all-new A350 will add a new chapter to the already outstanding Airbus family success story.”
With the official industrial launch of the A350, Airbus will now be able to book firm orders and expects around 200 of these by the end of the year. Earlier this year, advanced stage marketing of the aircraft confirmed the extremely positive market response and has led to 140 firm commitments from 9 Airbus customers to date. They will only be added to the already strong Airbus order backlog once they are turned into firm orders.
Over the summer Airbus had re-examined its global engineering and manufacturing resources in order to optimize its capabilities. It has led to the hiring of additional engineers and the mobilisation of EADS business units, new partners and subcontractors thus providing the full amount of required resources. “We are convinced that Airbus will be in a position to deliver on its promises to all its customers,” the EADS CEOs concluded.
The A350 is a key part of EADS' internationalisation strategy as the group is increasingly making use of global sourcing and high-tech innovation from all over the world while at the same time strengthening its industrial sites across Europe.
Backed by the Airbus shareholders BAE SYSTEMS and EADS, Airbus has applied for support in France, Germany, Spain and the UK. The European governments have provided letters of general support for the A350. However, Airbus, EADS and BAE SYSTEMS have decided that no disbursement should take place throughout 2006 as long as there is a credible prospect of negotiations and similar restraint is being undertaken in the United States. This further confirms the willingness of EADS, BAE SYSTEMS and Airbus to settle the trade dispute through negotiations.
EADS CEOs Tom Enders and Noël Forgeard said: “We strongly support government efforts to find an equitable and mutually supported resolution and we call upon our competitor to do the same.”
EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2004, EADS generated revenues of € 31.8 billion and employed a workforce of about 110,000. The EADS Group includes the aircraft manufacturer Airbus, the world's largest helicopter supplier Eurocopter and the joint venture MBDA, the international leader in missile systems. EADS is the major partner in the Eurofighter consortium, is the prime contractor for the Ariane launcher, develops the A400M military transport aircraft and is the largest industrial partner for the European satellite navigation system Galileo.
