The chief executive of Airbus moved to head off any concerns about a dip in profits or political interference at the European planemaker as France and Germany edged towards a shake-up of parent group EADS on December 03.
In an interview, Fabrice Bregier told Reuters he was confident that Airbus would ride out what some analysts fear could be a bumpy transitional period without either sacrificing record production or seeing its profits sag.
But he conceded Airbus was set to drop behind US rival Boeing in the traditional race for orders and deliveries this year, even after grabbing almost 200 new orders in November.
"We are not in a hurry," Bregier said. "We will achieve more than our target of 650 orders this year." He said development of the A350, the Toulouse-based company's next major project, was on track after a delay of up to six months announced earlier this year. Airbus had also come to grips with problems of wing cracks on the A380 superjumbo.
Airbus expects to meet a target of delivering 30 superjumbos in 2012 as it catches up from a slowdown caused by the flaws in several components on each wing. Next year, deliveries could slip below 30 before exceeding that level in 2014, Bregier said. Airbus is sticking to a breakeven goal for the A380 by 2015.
Bregier, a former defence executive who controlled Airbus operations for six years before becoming head of the largest EADS division in June, pledged to keep a grip on efforts to deliver the company's seven-year backlog of jets as CEO.
"If we do that, we will grow year on year," he said. "We have the potential to increase the profitability year on year for the next 4-5 years."
Some analysts have expressed concerns that a projected slew of loss-making early deliveries of A350s sold at launch prices and a potential slowdown in demand for current-generation planes could dent profits at mid-decade. Buoyed by demand from Asia, Airbus has started producing its A320 narrowbody planes at a record 42 a month, but has found the ramp-up was "painful" for some of its suppliers, Bregier said. It is anxious to prevent a dip in deliveries as airlines shy away from the current model to focus on the revamped A320neo, a fuel-saving model due to enter service from 2015.
Bregier said Airbus would not aim for higher production until the A320neo was at full speed from around 2018. Airbus has a "few hundred" current-type A320s left to sell in 2015/16.
The company has yet to make a decision to increase planned production for the A330, which it had said was threatened by China's refusal to confirm orders in protest at European Union airline emissions rules. The EU agreed to freeze the scheme last month. Bregier was speaking as governments fine-tuned a deal to alter the corporate structure of Europe's largest aerospace group, bringing in Germany as a direct shareholder in EADS for the first time, while reducing industrial proxy shareholdings.
"I am very optimistic that Airbus will continue to be supported and that we will have free hands to do what is necessary for Airbus's success," Bregier told said.
~~~~~(( ))0100hq-General News?Pakistan?aajschedule
Aaj TV - Monday's schedule
RECORDER REPORT
KARACHI: All timings are in PST (Pakistan Standard Time).
06:00 Headline News
06:25 News Hour
06:30 Headline News
07:00 Qaidi Nubmer
07:25 Headline News
07:30 Qaidi Nubmer
07:55 Headline News
08:00 News Hour
08:25 Headline News
08:30 Aaj Market Morning (Live)
08:55 Headline News
09:00 Aaj Subh With Ali Salman
09:25 Headline News
09:30 Aaj Subh With Ali Salman
09:55 Headline News
10:00 Ikhtilaf Ep 35 (R)
10:25 Headline News
10:30 Ikhtilaf Ep 35 (R)
10:55 Headline News
11:00 Bottom Line With Absar
11:25 Headline News
11:30 Bottom Line With Absar
11:55 News Hour
12:25 Headline News
12:30 News Hour
12:55 Headline News
13:00 Fear Files
13:25 Headline News
13:30 Fear Files
13:55 Headline News
14:00 Mid Day News
14:25 Headline News
14:30 Mid Day News
14:55 Headline News
15:00 Aaj Subh With Ali Salman
15:25 Headline News
15:30 Aaj Subh With Ali Salman
15:55 Headline News
16:00 Illaqai Khabren
16:25 Headline News
16:30 Aaj Market (Evening) (Live)
16:55 Headline News
17:00 Qaidi Number
17:25 Headline News
17:30 Qaidi Number
17:55 Headline News
18:00 News Bulletin
18:25 Headline News
18:30 Black Box Documentary (Black Magic)
18:55 Headline News
19:00 Pakistan 7
19:25 Headline News
19:30 Awaz
19:55 Headline News
20:00 Islamabad Tonight (Live Form Islamabad)
20:25 Headline News
20:30 Islamabad Tonight (Live Form Islamabad)
20:55 Headline News
21:00 Aaj 9 Baje
21:25 Headline News
21:30 Aaj 9 Baje
21:55 Headline News
22:00 Bolta Pakistan (Live From Islamabad)
22:25 Headline News
22:30 Bolta Pakistan (Live From Islamabad)
22:55 Headline News
23:00 Sahi Khabar
23:25 Headline News
23:30 Sahi Khabar
23:55 Headline News
00:00 Islamabad Tonight
00:25 Headline News
00:30 Islamabad Tonight
00:55 Headline News
01:00 Fear Files
01:25 Headline News
01:30 Fear Files
01:55 Headline News
02:00 Aaj Subh With Ali Salman
02:25 Headline News
02:30 Aaj Subh With Ali Salman
02:55 Headline News
03:00 News Hour
03:25 Headline News
03:30 News Hour
03:55 Headline News
04:00 Bolta Pakistan
04:25 Headline News
04:30 Bolta Pakistan
04:55 Headline News
05:00 Ikhtilaf
05:25 Headline News
05:30 Ikhtilaf
05:55 News Hour
Comments
Comments are closed.