Boeing chief executive Jim McNerney argued in a Wall Street Journal interview that Airbus has grown large and profitable enough to finance its own aircraft development without subsidies from European governments.
McNerney's remarks came after Airbus signaled it might seek billions of dollars in EU launch aid to fund a new plane capable of competing with Boeing's 787 Dreamliner, which had already secured 393 orders from 29 airlines ahead of its planned 2008 debut. He said such subsidies distort the market and should be eliminated as part of any negotiated settlement between the EU and the United States.
Airbus has acknowledged difficulties in redesigning its A350 to match the long-range capabilities of the 787. McNerney credited airline customers with shifting the industry's perception of which manufacturer currently leads the market.
The two sides are engaged in a bitter World Trade Organisation dispute over government support for both planemakers, while also holding separate technical discussions aimed at an out-of-court resolution. New US Trade Representative Susan Schwab warned that any fresh EU aid for Airbus would damage the good faith underlying those parallel talks and could halt progress in the negotiations.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in June 2006, in its own words.