AIRBUS INDUSTRIE IS threatening to sue Boeing unless the US manufacturer ceases stating that the Airbus A340 cruises at Mach 0.78, which is slower than either the Boeing 747 or 777.
According to Airbus senior vice-president John Leahy, consortium chief executive Jean Pierson is writing to Boeing chairman Frank Shrontz demanding that it withdraw its "misrepresentations".
"A solicitor's letter will follow if they don't stop saying it flies at Mach 0.78," says Leahy.
Recent comparative data released by Boeing credits the A340 with a cruising speed of between Mach 0.78 and 0.80. Boeing further claims that the aircraft takes up to 1h more to fly to long-range destinations than does a Boeing 747 operating at Mach 0.85 over an unspecified distance.
Leahy claims that a survey of existing A340 operators revealed that the A340 is in fact being flown at an average cruising speed of Mach 0.82-0.83.
Source: Flight International
