Aircraft
Politics Puts A350 Under Financial Pressure
The Airbus factory in Toulouse, France, prepares to mate the first A350’s wing and fuselage. (Photo: Airbus)
The Airbus factory in Toulouse, France, prepares to mate the first A350’s wing and fuselage. (Photo: Airbus)

Airbus might have to seriously consider alternative means of financing development of the A350 if the German government withholds loans of €600 million ($787 million) for the project, as reported in the German press. Airbus won’t comment, nor will German government officials, but any such development would force parent company EADS to defer to its plan to use its own funds rather than accept political influence over its decisions on work share or production locations.