The EADS share fell 12.68 % to €13.77 on the Paris stock exchange yesterday,

to its October 2003 level. This fall was due to the new record peak reached by the euro, at$1.5905. Le Figaro Economie highlights that each time the US currency loses 10 cents to theeuro, Airbus’s profits melt down by € 1Bn.
Le Figaro Economie, El Mundo

Dubai wants to hire EADS number-two executive Marwan Lahoud.

Marwan Lahoud, whowas appointed chief strategy, marketing and international operations officer at EADS lastspring, in replacement for Jean-Paul Gut, has been offered the top position at DubaiDevelopment and Investment Authority, Dubai’s sovereign fund. His departure would be a“shock” for EADS as Mr Lahoud is a key member of CEO Louis Gallois’s new managementstrategy, says Le Figaro. As for Dubai, hiring the EADS executive could give the emirate amajor asset if, one day, it decided to try and enter the aerospace group’s capital.
Le Figaro

Toulouse-based Latecoere hopes to finalise the acquisitions

of Airbus’s plants inMeaulte and Saint-Nazaire “some time in the second quarter”, said the group’schairman, Francois Bertrand. During a press conference, Mr Bertrand said the takeoverprocess was making “good progress”. The AFP news agency explains that Latecoere is setto create a joint venture with Airbus in 2008, in which the plane maker will own a 40 % stake.In 2011, the aerospace supplier will acquire 100 % control of the entity. In Meaulte, the groupplans to create a factory specialised in composite materials, which should be operationalwithin the next two years and should work on the new Airbus A350 programme. Latecoerealso reiterated plans to set up a low-cost subsidiary in Northern Africa, where it willmanufacture components, in an investment valued at € 100M. Following the acquisition ofthe Airbus sites, the share of Latecoere’s turnover generated from Airbus activities will rise to70 %,

In its appeal effort against the award of the US Air Force tanker

contract to EADS/Northrop Grumman, Boeing claimed the USAF may pay $ 30Bn morefor fuel over 40 years with the Airbus tanker. Boeing’s argument is based on a costanalysis it ordered from Conklin & de Decker Aviation Information. The Airbus tanker’s fuelcost is higher than the USAF would pay with Boeing’s offering, the study said. Both the WallStreet Journal Europe and French weekly Marianne comment that Boeing’s decision to lodgea complaint against the contract award, supported by lawmakers in Congress who stronglycriticise the selection of a European supplier, is a blatant sign of renewed “protectionism” inthe US. If French politicians had criticised a similar award of a French contract to a USgroup, France would have been accused of “economic nationalism” or “patriotism”, and,ironically, would certainly have been asked to follow the US economic model, says Marianne.The US daily points out that

British IT services company FDM Group

has won a major contract with EADS toprovide training for England’s Fire and Rescue Control project. The contract is worth ?2M initially, and could possibly reach ? 6M over the next three years.
Dow Jones Newswires(17/03), Financial Times

The Airbus A380 is making its first commercial flight to Europe today.

The superjumboleft Singapore for London today, carrying 449 passengers. It is expected at Heathrow Airportat about 15:05 GMT. Singapore Airlines now has three A380s in service and is planning toput its next unit on daily flights to Tokyo from May 20. Marvin Tan, general manager forSingapore Airlines UK and Ireland, declared: “The arrival of the first commercial A380 flightto London will be a proud moment not only for Singapore Airlines but also for British aviation,with the magnificent wings of the aircraft made in Broughton, North Wales, and Filton, Bristol,and the plane powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines”.
AFP (17/03), Reuters (18/03),Aujourd’hui en France, The Times, The Daily Telegraph

The Times comments that the A380 heralds a big step

in the “quest for greener airtravel”. The continued growth of air travel is unavoidable, experts say, so governmentsshould see aviation players take on a role in combating climate change too. The A380actually offers one solution: Transporting more people without the need for more aircraft. Thesuperjumbo, in fact, is more fuel-efficient and less noisy than any aircraft today. Marvin Tan,general manager for Singapore Airlines UK and Ireland, claims the A380 burns 20 % lessfuel per seat per mile than current large aircraft. Carbon dioxide emissions per passenger arethe lowest of any aircraft. This eco performance has been achieved thanks to improvementsin the aerodynamic standard of the wings, new fuel and electrical systems, and thedevelopment of new materials,