MIKE MARTIN
Airbus had no objection to the proposed GE/Honeywell deal and did not try to persuade the European Commission to block it, Airbus chief Noel Forgeard said at the show yesterday.
Responding to questions about an article in Le Monde in which Boeing vice-chairman Harry Stonecipher suggested it, and criticised the French government, Forgeard made a strongly-worded attack on his competitor.
"All of this is very surprising. I was extremely shocked. It does not belong to industrialists, even more so a foreign one, to question the responsibilities of the President of France on national security," he said.
On the GE/Honeywell deal, he said he had had extensive discussions both with the European Commission and with Jack Welch, head of GE. "With certain safeguards, Airbus had no objection to the deal. This is known by all the relevant people, so imagine my surprise when I saw a headline that we opposed the GE/Honeywell merger.
"It is just wrong."
Despite the exchange of words, which seemed to indicate a return to the verbal wars between Airbus and Boeing, Forgeard said that he is optimistic about prospects for trade in the aerospace business between the USA and Europe.
Airbus will announce major orders today and is at the Paris airshow in bullish mood. The company says that while the market is softening it predicts a soft landing "at least for Airbus". It sticks to its forecast of 350-400 sales this year.Source: Flight Daily News
