MURDO MORRISON / HAMBURG
Airbus is confident of hitting the 120-order mark for the A380 by the end of the year, says programme vice-president Charles Champion. Speaking at the official opening of Airbus's A380 major component assembly hall in Hamburg last week, he said the manufacturer was in "advanced discussions" with several customers. However, no Japanese airlines are in that group. Champion says the country's international airlines ANA and JAL are "taking their time to evaluate the A380 and I can understand that. We don't expect a decision very soon."
In his address, Airbus president Noel Forgeard said the A380 would ensure that "we sustain our leadership in the long term" over rival Boeing. He said the "quality of the relationship between government and the private sector" in France and Germany helped give Europe's aerospace industry an advantage over that of the USA. German chancellor Gerhard Schröder said the "critics of the programme have been taught a lesson".
Source: Flight International
