A DIFFICULT year for Airbus continued yesterday with news that the company is facing a lawsuit over an aircraft lost on a flight from South America.
But it was also a day of mixed fortunes for the plane maker with word that buyers of the delayed A400M troop transporter were edging towards a deal.
And, on another brighter note, it looks as though Airbus will hang on to a key figure in helping ensure it pulls out of its current dive in airliner orders.
A US lawyer has filed a lawsuit against Airbus and some aerospace suppliers seeking unspecified compensation on behalf of the relatives of eight of the 228 passengers who died when an Air France flight crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Brazil in June.
The complaint alleges that the Airbus A330 plane that went down was “defective and unreasonably dangerous”.
Floyd Wisner, the aviation accident lawyer who filed the complaint, said the plaintiffs included parents, spouses and children of victims of the crash.
Investigators have said they do not yet know what caused the A330 to crash and the investigation could take another year. Airbus refused to comment.
Meanwhile, John Leahy – the company’s sales chief – says he has no intention of quitting his job with the firm to buy the aircraft manufacturer’s biggest customer, and wants to help Airbus recover from the current severe downturn in the global aviation market.
Speculation has been rife that he was involved in a bid to buy Los Angeles-based plane leasing giant International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC).
Wings for new additions to ILFC’s 1,000-strong fleet will be made at the Airbus factory at Broughton, near Chester. Future job security at the site rests on a continuing flow of orders from major customers such as ILFC.
Reports from France had suggested that Mr Leahy was teaming up with Jean-Paul Gut, a former senior official at Airbus parent EADS, to study buying ILFC with Qatari financial backing.
But Mr Leahy said there was “absolutely no truth” in the reports, adding that he felt he had an obligation to stay to get the company back on track.
