duane Report This Comment
Date: April 27, 2005 11:54AM

oooh.....

GordieOz Report This Comment
Date: April 27, 2005 01:00PM

Wait 'n' see if it can create an 'on time' and reliability record like the 747, going strong since the late 60's!

Anonymous Report This Comment
Date: April 27, 2005 01:53PM

Forgive me for being underwhelmed: it's just another aeroplane and, like many others, cost the poor bloody taxpayer millions before even getting off the ground.

Anthony Report This Comment
Date: April 27, 2005 03:15PM

Actually it cost the British, German , and French taxpayers BILLIONS. They payed a third of the $13 billion development cost.

Black_Trans_Am Report This Comment
Date: April 27, 2005 03:40PM

Airbus is doomed !!

Anonymous Report This Comment
Date: April 27, 2005 03:45PM

YAWN!

Anonymous Report This Comment
Date: April 27, 2005 05:15PM

yeah, well... it certainly is BIG...

scheich Report This Comment
Date: April 27, 2005 06:30PM

if its so big.. then why is this pic so small??

Anthony Report This Comment
Date: April 27, 2005 06:38PM

Europe has a history of developing big grandstanding projects that make no commerical sense. Case in point: the Concorde, an interesting technical feat with no economic logic. It was a huge fiancial failure. Boeing determined that the future of air travel is the more convenient point to point rather than huge hubs where everyone has to reboard a flight to their acutal destination. So Boeing, being a profit driven free enterprise company, would not risk billions to develop a national pride symbol. Only Airbus, who epitomize corporate welfare and had their hands out to the European taxpayers, can afford to take such risks. Beoing is developing a smaller fuel efficient aircraft called the Dreamliner. Now Airbus wants billions more from the European taxpayers so they can develop an answer to Boeings Dreamliner.

Black_Trans_Am Report This Comment
Date: April 27, 2005 10:05PM

Take it easy Annthony Boeing and many other major aviation and defense firms get plenty of your/our tax dollars in a wide variety of ways. Corporate welfare is alive and well in the U.S. It ain't all market driven.

Both companies will do fine.

Anonymous Report This Comment
Date: April 27, 2005 10:25PM

I know they are not for the same use.. But what about the C5, SR71 Black Bird. F17 and up comming F18? All more amazing then that waste.

Anonymous Report This Comment
Date: April 28, 2005 02:54AM

do they really need all those people to ride on just one plane?

Anonymous Report This Comment
Date: April 28, 2005 03:52AM

How many hubs around the world will be able to handle such a large aircraft? It's tough enough to taxi and dock a 747. How long is the runway going to have to be for this plane's takeoff roll?

Anonymous Report This Comment
Date: April 28, 2005 03:59AM

I doubt Airbus will ever come close to achieving the same standards of passenger safety, durability, reliability, and cost efficiency as the 747 has for more than 35 years. The latest 747-400 is the benchmark of commercial aviation.

Anthony Report This Comment
Date: April 28, 2005 04:40AM

In the 1980's, Airbus gained a foothold in the North American airline market by bribing Canadian officials for the government owned Air Canada with $20 million. Air Canada then placed a huge order for Airbus planes. Boeing had to shut down a parts production plant in Canada because of the lost orders. Many skilled Canadians lost their jobs.
Since about year 2000, Airbus has consistently underbid Boeing on aircraft bids until the industry was basically unprofitable. Airbus can afford to do this because they are subsidized by European governments. They can always drop their margin lower than Boeing. The United States is finally taking the matter to the World Trade Organization. Yes Boeing gets government defense contracts. How is that the same as getting free unrepayable loans from the government?

Black_Trans_Am Report This Comment
Date: April 28, 2005 12:28PM

Damn crooked Canadians foiled us again!

Anonymous Report This Comment
Date: May 16, 2005 01:45PM

This Canadian says airbus is absolute fucking junk! If the computers fail in any airbus planes your dead.No hydraulic back-up whatsoever.Boeing rules and any of you fruitcake europeans dont know fuck all if you like airbus planes.PS,the best company(boeing)still puts cables&hydraulics in so if your pentium crashes your not fishfood

Anonymous Report This Comment
Date: September 20, 2005 07:26PM

oh my god I am very impressed...

Anonymous Report This Comment
Date: November 09, 2005 08:39AM

true europeans do develop non profit tax burdens take when england developed the U.S for example had to cut it off

Anonymous Report This Comment
Date: November 09, 2005 11:51PM

When did England develop the US as a tax burden, 2317, and what did they cut off?

Anonymous Report This Comment
Date: March 14, 2006 01:59PM

Anyway, Long Live EUROPE, CANADA, AFRICA, ASIA, the MIDDLE-EAST, RUSSIA, etc....We're all fed up with the Teenage, overexcited, self-centred -Mix-of-Everyone-Else , ungrateful ones...

LEARN TO FOCUS ON YOURSELVES. STOP TAKING THE PISS. YOU'RE A MIX OF HE MAJORITY OF THE WORLD, REMEMBER IT, HONOUR IT !!