Well that means no Saudi order for Rafale anyway. Because otherwise they wouldn’t need this deal to say sorry.

The T50 nearly bagged the order in early 2005 according to AFM but I’ll go for the BAe Hawk due to industrial offsets and better political ties and the fact that T50 didn’t get the order in early 2005.

Okay didn’t see the moderators post, sorry for above post.

We also have to remember that BA is no longer a state airline but a privatised enterprise.

Yes and that is why I didn’t say they have to do it, I just said I’d like them to do it. [the thing with dropping the B was a joke!] I know very well that they don’t care what I say, I don’t fly with them anyway! 🙂

Get off your high horse.
No one personally attacked you, and accusing us of such is an attack in itself!

I am not accusing more than one person of insults, I’m just accusing you. You called me xenophobic which is clearly an insult.

Your post was xenophobic in the sense that you outright demanded that British Airways, being British, MUST buy British products.

I didn’t say that. Perhaps you ought to read posts carefully before posting insulting replies? I said the British government should force them to drop the B from the name. This was followed by a 😉 Clearly indicating that it was a joke. I then said “no wonder British manufacturing is going down the drain” which is no more than stating that the British industry is not doing too well, obviously also because of a lack of British support for British industry. If I had said they are doing badly due to Boeing “robbing” the UK worker or some such nonsense, that would have been xenophobic, but my only criticism in my post was directed towards British people, hardly xenophobic as I’m half British myself! Besides wanting a company to buy a certain nations product is not xenophobic. Do you know what xenophobic means? It means you are scared of foreigners or things foreign which can lead to hatred of foreigners/foreign things. I have not shown such a thing in any of my posts whilst you have attacked a half-foreigner for stating his opinion. I guess that is what one calls irony.

No one is saying supporting either A or B is wrong.

You said I was xenophobic after I said I supported Airbus, sounds like you’re trying to push me into bad light just for supporting airbus.

P.S. Good that you have understood now that it’s xenophobic and not zenophobic [that would mean dislike/fear of Zen].

Originally posted by: Bmused55:

So I suppose you think BS should have made do with the lumbering A340-300 then? Or the none performing A340-200 perhaps? Instead of getting the 772ER? A plane known to be far more efficient that any A340 offering.

The days of BA buying solely British are gone. They will buy what fits their needs, regardless of where it comes from. Learn to accept that and move on mate.

I didn’t say BA should be forced to buy anthing, I said they should drop the British Airways brand because it fools people into believing they cared about Britain. Okay I’ll admit it is a bit polemic. 😉 BTW BA has always said they’ll buy R-R engines if possible so why not Airbus [if they offer the same quality]? Besides I am talking about a specific case: A380 with a 40-50% UK content versus B747-8 with about 0% UK content. I don’t see why the A380 doesn’t fit the bill for BA, if Lufthansa,Qantas etc… are buying it for similiar routes. Also a brand new A380 must be better than a redone B747. But me getting heated over this is premature anyway because I believe they’ll go A380 anyway.

Originally posted by Bmused55:

That its a very zenophobic view you have there.

I don’t dislike Zen. :diablo: Or did you mean xenophobic? But I have to disappoint you there too. I didn’t express dislike or hatred of Boeing or the US, I just said I thought British airlines should buy British products, nothing wrong in that. I find it quite funny that patriotism is viewed as being xenophobic. :confused: :rolleyes:

Originally posted by Skymonster:

In today’s highly competitive and narrow-margin airline business, there is no place for patriotism to take precidence over fit-for-purpose. BA will buy what they believe delivers the best return for their business, and if British industry can’t deliver that then British industry deserves not to win the business.

Well it doesn’t seem like Lufthansa, Air France agree, do they? They have large Airbus fleets [yes they have Boeings too] but to me it seems they prefer Airbus if the products are comparable in quality.

P.S. Won’t be able to answer because I’m flying away this evening, on board of a Boeing! 😮 😉

Can’t you guys read? It says far less than 58 Billion Dollars. So why are you calculating with 58 Billion Dollars? :confused:

How many Rafales have been delivered in total as of now?