USA får lov å kjøpe militærfly fra Airbus

[The Ticketor]

Congress removes ban on military buying Airbus
By Peter Spiegel, Defence Correspondent, in London
Published: December 30 2005 02:00 | Last updated: December 30 2005 02:00

The US Congress has removed one of the biggest problems posed for the European aircraft industry by the row with the European Union over commercial aircraft subsidies. It has reversed a measure passed by the House of Representatives that would have made it il-legal for the Pentagon to buy military equipment from Airbus.

The little-noticed move, included in a defence bill passed last week that now awaits President George W. Bush's signature, had been expected for months but defence lobbyists were increasingly concerned that the Airbus ban could slip through in the year-end rush to pass legislation.

The measure had become one of the most contentious issues between the US and the EU, which have been fighting for months over the legality of aid given to their respective commercial aircraft manufacturers, Boeing and Airbus.

Boeing, backed by US trade officials, has argued that pending loans to Airbus for its new A350 are illegal subsidies, while Airbus, backed by the EU, has insisted that tax breaks granted to Boeing for its new 777 are also forbidden.

The measure to bar Airbus from Pentagon contracts was seen by Europeans as a direct retaliation for its refusal to back down on the subsidies dispute.

[LN-MOW]

JA, hvorfor ikke ... antagelig vil mer av 332-tankeren bli bygd i USA enn en 767- eller 777-tanker.