AEROSPATIALE HAS finally given its public support to calls for Airbus Industrie to transform itself from a consortium into a normal company.
The German and UK partners, Daimler-Benz Aerospace (DASA) and British Aerospace, have been pushing for such a change for several years, but have been blocked by French mistrust of such a move.
The issue is now coming to a head, however, as the consortium is faced with finding fresh sources of finance and new partners to help it build the proposed A3XX.
BAe has said that the A3XX cannot go ahead unless the issue of structure is addressed, while DASA has come under intense pressure from the German Government to move towards a more integrated European industry.
Source: Flight International
