bofecus
Then why to you continue to sprout BS then?
I will respectfully have to disagree with you. From this side of the salty divide, our understanding of a level playing field, when called for by the US, is one that is heavily biased in favour of the US. We can go on and on about this till the cows come home, and we'll never agree.
Tell you what a level playing field is: Either you withdraw all those N-reg'd aircraft plodding along in the European skies, flying intra-EU, or you open up the domesitic US market to EU carriers. I'm not holding my breath though; FedEx, UPS and ALPA will never allow it to happen.
Your claim that Airbus are giving their metal away is noted; I could readily make the same unfounded claim with regards to the 787 which, it has been allegeded, Boeing are offering at a price lower than the current 767-300, and much lower than the competing A350. Fact of the matter is that neither you nor I are involved in direct negotiations with Airbus or Boeing, and therefore neither of us know what is true and what is BS.
However, buying market share by lowering the price below that of your competitor is not illegal, some might even say it's a sound strategy, and the losses incurrred (if sold below manufacturing costs) may be lower than the gains from after sales service. Since EADS are turning a profit, and has done so for a number of years, their strategy cannot be all wrong. Recent wins by Boeing, most notably the Air Canada one, seems to suggest that Boeing may have taken a leaf off the Airbus book and lowered their prices considerably. Below manufacturing costs? Who knows, but low enough to secure the order and most likely with a service contract that will see the entire deal show a profit, if not on the airframes alone. I see nothing wrong with that, and congratulate Boeing for winning that order.
As for your claim of lower, well everything really, I am unable to reject that, other than saying that you are obviously a more knowledgeable person than 100s of airline executives who's bought Airbusses over the years.
I say again that the A380 will sell in great numbers (rumours of 154 orders/commitments and 100 options are floating) and it will take over the market so far dominated by the Whale. It will be the best thing since sliced bread on a fairly large number of slot restricted routes, and since air travel is only forecast to grow, it will be the answer to the congestion headaches both airlines and airports are suffering from.
I understand that Americans have severe troubles finishing second in a race of two, and this stinks of sour grapes. But, for the moment, you'll have to live with the fact that Airbus is on top and that Boeing is no longer the manufacturer of the biggest passenger aircraft on the market.
The difference between you and me is that you hate Airbus. It may have tricked a lingering inferiority complex, what do I know? But I don't hate Boeing. I'm a European and therefore proud of their accomplishments. But I'm not blind to their fallings, and the A350 is one of them, and I recognise that the B777-300ER is a better machine than the A340-600. In my opinion the 757 is a superior machine compared to the A321, but fact of the matter is that not many airlines need the hot and high capabilities inherent in a 84K lbs thrust machine, not many airlines need transatlantic capability in a 185 seat machine, and not many airlines need a 245K lbs MTOW. What many airlines need is to transport 185 pax over short to medium range and doing it as cheap as possible. Hence the A321 is still being made, and the 757 is not. It breaks my heart, but there you have it - the market has spoken. However, I have no dislike of Boeing and I have never said anything bad about a Boeing product. I wish both manufacturers the best, but if Airbus could retain the upperhand that obviously would suit me just fine. Should Boeing edge ahead, and recent sales success seems to prove that they are, then more power to their elbow!
