Paris Air Show 2003: Meeting on some precarious common ground
The 2003 Paris Air Show, held June 15 to 22, opened against a backdrop of bitter transatlantic political disputes over France’s opposition to the U.S.-led

The 2003 Paris Air Show, held June 15 to 22, opened against a backdrop of bitter transatlantic political disputes over France’s opposition to the U.S.-led Iraq War and the future of the Middle East. It ended with carriers from that region providing the whole aerospace industry with a welcome financial shot in the arm by placing multi-billion-dollar orders for new airliners.

In the build-up to this year’s salon there was much talk of a U.S. boycott. There can be no doubt that the U.S. presence was markedly reduced, with 183 exhibitors this year versus 350 in 2001 (and many of those who did attend were thinly staffed compared with previous years). Furthermore, there were no serving U.S. military officers above Grade O-6 and a dearth of the usual congressional and government delegations.