Location dispute slows decision on A3XX project - Brief Article

Airline Industry Information, June 8, 2000

AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-(C)1997-2000 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

A decision to approve Airbus Industrie's A3XX project is apparently being hampered by a dispute about where the superjumbo jet aircraft should be produced.

France would like to see the aircraft manufactured mostly in Toulouse, while Germany is keen to have production based in Hamburg, and has applied for government loans in order to prepare its facility to accommodate the aircraft.

Airbus has apparently recommended that final assembly be carried out at Aerospatiale Matra SA's plant in Toulouse, while DaimlerChrysler's Hamburg facility takes care of cabin and component construction according to the Associated Press.

Despite the wrangling over location, members of the European aircraft manufacturing consortium are very keen to get the project off the ground and expect that if a decision is not announced by a meeting of the Airbus supervisory board today (8 June) then a decision should be forthcoming at the Farnborough airshow being held in England during July.

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