These subsidies from four European governments, which include aircraft launch assistance, capital injections, debt forgiveness, have enabled Airbus to develop and range market airliners well below cost.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
During the past 30 years, European governments have provided more than $15 billion in the form of low- and no-cost loans to Airbus for the specific purpose of developing new aircraft lines.
Over 30 years ago, Airbus was founded by a European consortium of French, German, and later Spanish and British companies to compete in the large commercial aircraft industry with U.S. companies.
Of course we are coming to invest in Germany - that is certain. Most airplanes in the fleet of Qatar Airways are from Airbus.
First, we have to lower our costs to levels that are more competitive. This will prevent the lower-cost airlines from pushing us out of the markets we want to serve. We've made great progress on this front, but we need to keep pushing.
In 2003, the value of Airbus's orders was more than twice as much as Boeing's.
The crucial point is always the own cost structure. Therefore I created a Low Cost alliance with air Berlin.
If anyone wonders why the airlines are not doing well it is because flying has been made such an unpleasant and degrading experience.
We now fly with an airbus, which has 210 seats, six times the week to Palma to the spider of the air Berlin.
However imperfectly, subsidies for the poor do actually reduce hunger, ease suffering and create opportunity, while subsidies for the rich result in more private jets and yachts. Would we rather subsidize opportunity or yachts? Which kind of subsidies deserve more scrutiny?
In a time of serious budget deficits, immense war costs and a sluggish economy, we cannot afford to grant such outlandish subsidies to some of our Nation's largest corporations.
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