Airbus requests British government aid for A350 plane

LONDON - The European Airbus company has lodged a request with the British government for financial aid to help develop its A350 plane, a government spokeswoman said Thursday.
"Airbus has put in a launch investment application to the Department (of Trade and Industry) and it's currently being considered," the spokeswoman told AFP.
The A350 project has become a crucial battlefield in the fierce competition between Airbus and US rival Boeing.
The twin-engine, long-haul plane is aimed at competing with Boeing's planned fuel-efficient 787 Dreamliner, which the US company hopes will help it regain the top spot in global commercial aviation.
The A350 was approved in December 2004 by Airbus shareholders European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company, which owns 80 percent, and BAE Systems of Britain, with a 20 percent stake.
The United States has bitterly opposed European Union plans to subsidize the A350 and has threatened to seek arbitration by the World Trade Organization if the EU allows aid to the project before the end of bilateral negotiations.

05/19/2005 11:16 GMT