A350 funding from UK, Germany
On virtually the eve of the preliminary decision by the WTO on Boeing's protest to Airbus launch aid, the Governments of Germany and the UK have committed $1.548B and $555m, respectively for the development of the A350. Needless to say, this has not quelled Boeing's ire about how Airbus funds its new aircraft programs. Permit me to ask an open question, would Airbus be able to secure the same amount of funding from traditional commercial sources with more latitude in how it lays out its workshare?
ZA002 Taxi Testing
All indications point to N787EX taxiing under its own power as early as today in Everett. Today's tests, which should mimic ZA001's July testing, will likely mark one of the last public events before Dreamliner Two goes under the knife for the wing fix. Program progress will again be difficult to gauge outwardly. ZA002 will either remain on the flight line covered by a tent or moved north to the ATS hangars to undergo structural reinforcement.
SWA@BOS
Southwest Airlines completed its first flight to Boston's Logan International Airport yesterday, expanding its New England service into Massachusetts. The move is another step forward in Southwest's slow and steady expansion into first tier major metropolitan airports like Denver, La Guardia and Dulles. The airline of the suburbs is moving to the big city. Can't wait to see the DOT data going up against JetBlue.
Reviving FriendFeed
As you can see, I've added a big old "FlightBlogger by E-Mail" button to the left side of the page to receive the blog by email. To the right is FriendFeed which, in it's current form on this page, is quite static. Over the last year or so, FriendFeed (now owned by Facebook) has evolved significantly to better foster and integrate discussion and sharing. I've also found myself using it A LOT more to share stories of note and start discussions. They aren't necessarily items of original content of my own, but it allows me to highlight and comment on interesting things, while using this page for breaking news, analysis and commentary.
I've been able to hone the pace of content sharing: FlightBlogger features medium and extended posts, FriendFeed enables short posting and multimedia sharing and Twitter allows for microblogging. All of these tools are FlightBlogger, it's just a matter of finding the right content for the right platform. No piece exists on its own, and each piece supports the others.
On virtually the eve of the preliminary decision by the WTO on Boeing's protest to Airbus launch aid, the Governments of Germany and the UK have committed $1.548B and $555m, respectively for the development of the A350. Needless to say, this has not quelled Boeing's ire about how Airbus funds its new aircraft programs. Permit me to ask an open question, would Airbus be able to secure the same amount of funding from traditional commercial sources with more latitude in how it lays out its workshare?
ZA002 Taxi Testing
All indications point to N787EX taxiing under its own power as early as today in Everett. Today's tests, which should mimic ZA001's July testing, will likely mark one of the last public events before Dreamliner Two goes under the knife for the wing fix. Program progress will again be difficult to gauge outwardly. ZA002 will either remain on the flight line covered by a tent or moved north to the ATS hangars to undergo structural reinforcement.
SWA@BOS
Southwest Airlines completed its first flight to Boston's Logan International Airport yesterday, expanding its New England service into Massachusetts. The move is another step forward in Southwest's slow and steady expansion into first tier major metropolitan airports like Denver, La Guardia and Dulles. The airline of the suburbs is moving to the big city. Can't wait to see the DOT data going up against JetBlue.
Reviving FriendFeed
As you can see, I've added a big old "FlightBlogger by E-Mail" button to the left side of the page to receive the blog by email. To the right is FriendFeed which, in it's current form on this page, is quite static. Over the last year or so, FriendFeed (now owned by Facebook) has evolved significantly to better foster and integrate discussion and sharing. I've also found myself using it A LOT more to share stories of note and start discussions. They aren't necessarily items of original content of my own, but it allows me to highlight and comment on interesting things, while using this page for breaking news, analysis and commentary.
I've been able to hone the pace of content sharing: FlightBlogger features medium and extended posts, FriendFeed enables short posting and multimedia sharing and Twitter allows for microblogging. All of these tools are FlightBlogger, it's just a matter of finding the right content for the right platform. No piece exists on its own, and each piece supports the others.
on August 17, 2009 1:51 PM | Reply
In regards to the Airbus financing. I would have to think that if Airbus was divorced from its obligations to country specific manufacturing it could leverage itself to other companies to secure the funding necessary to build the new aircraft. However, at the same time I would wonder if they could manage to start work on the A350 so soon after the A380 if they had to rely on non-governmental support.
Of course Boeing itself makes use of government support via military contracts and state/local tax breaks. Perhaps it is Boeing that needs to revisit how it funds its aircraft. Maybe it is time that Boeing actively seek government funding from other countries. I'm sure Canada wouldn't mind giving up a few million to secure some facilities in the Great White North.
on August 17, 2009 2:13 PM | Reply
Hey Jon, I'm gonna ask a question that some but few had asked. Many people commenting here and in other blogs write of the many benefits Boeing receives from Washington State and other areas, and specially from their military business. Now, my understanding is that Airbus was formed and still is owned by EADS which is a company that mostly deals with military stuff for all of Europe and many other countries. So, if they're having an assembly plant, like in Toulouse for example, don't they get tax brake incentive from that place like Boeing gets in Seattle? Doesn't Spain offer certain incentives so that they have parts of airplane made there? I don't get why is only Boeing getting this inventive from Seattle and South Carolina for example!
on August 17, 2009 2:19 PM | Reply
>Permit me to ask an open question, would Airbus be able to secure the same amount of funding from traditional commercial sources with more latitude in how it lays out its workshare?
Aerospace is the poster child of every country's industry in every country all over the world. So of course it is publicly funded everywhere. Hence this is a very moot question ;-) (and not open at all).
Both companies would be better off getting their bread-and-butter-business sorted out than fighting over such pointless stuff.
Or as Noel Foregard once said it: "I rather prefer employing engineers and salesmen than lawyers and lobbyists." - Not saying he did, nor he was good at his job in general, but concerning this topic there's nothing to add.
on August 17, 2009 5:45 PM | Reply
Be careful, Jon. By underlining information about funding with such a question, you take the risk to make your blog becoming like many Airbus vs Boeing gladiators' arena. The reason why I like your blog is that you & contributers are aerospace fans and engineering lovers, mostly out of this Airbus vs. Boeing fight. That does not forbid to have a preference. But the discussion becomes quickly useless because each side has so many arguments against the other on this subject.
Anyway these information worth to be reported. And with the WTO to rule on that soon, no doubt many keyboards will be used on the subsidies theme.
I have also to thank you about the quality of your information. I just regret your blog did not exist during A380 development (or maybe it did, but I was not aware), and I hope you will keep up the momentum with the A350 program.
on August 18, 2009 4:13 AM | Reply
One important thing about the Airbus financing: It is a loan. Every penny plus interest has to be paid back.