The latest delays to the Boeing 787 and Airbus A380 deliveries may actually suit a few customer airlines

The latest delays to the Boeing 787 and Airbus A380 deliveries may actually suit a few customer airlines, claims Yan Derocles,
analyst at Oddo Securities. Air traffic growth is expected to slow down –from 8% in 2007 to 4.5% in 2008- and “demand remains superior to seat offering”. So, says Mr Derocles, the current situation allows airlines to “raise their ticket fares easily and compensate for the rising oil prices”.

Boeing five years ahead of its rival Airbus

Boeing CEO Jim McNerney told an investor conference in Seattle yesterday that the company was “five years ahead” of its rival Airbus. According to him, the delays to the new 787 Dreamliner are less serious than the recurrent problems Airbus faces with its A350 and A380 programmes.

China seeks greater cooperation with Airbus

China seeks greater cooperation with Airbus, reports Negocio. Chinese Vice-Prime Minister Zhang Dejiang met Thomas Enders yesterday in the hope to extend cooperation between his country and Airbus. During this meeting, said Chinese media reports,

Airbus is not yet out of turbulences

Airbus is not yet out of turbulences, comments French magazine L’Express. The weekly goes back over the “accumulation of difficulties” Airbus had to face lately: the cancellation of the plant-sale programme, which weakens the Power 8 plan; the latest delay to the A380’s manufacturing,

Eurocopter flies high in Mexico.

For long, the helicopter maker only employed about 50 workers in Mexico. Today, it has more than 140 employees in the country and generates $ 105M in turnover. “Our order book is full through 2011 and we are catching up with Eurocopter Brazil”,

Handelsblatt reported that the A350 XWB faced weight issues.

Citing industry sources, Handelsblatt reported yesterday that the A350 XWB faced weight issues. The German daily claimed that Airbus’s new aircraft would still be around eight tonnes over the planned weight. Airbus always refused to reveal a weight target to the public, just saying the A350 XWB

EADS has to take up several industrial challenges before it can engage into major acquisitions in the US

EADS has to take up several industrial challenges before it can engage into major acquisitions in the US, notably in the defence electronics and security sectors, analyses Reuters. EADS North America intends to become a leading player in the US military market

EADS rationalises its top management remuneration policy

EADS rationalises its top management remuneration policy, in a context where it is enforcing a cost-saving and job-cut plan. Cinco Dias reports that the company thus decided to abandon the variable bonus paid to its board members as early as this year.