The European Aeronautic Defense & Space Co., the parent of Airbus SAS, proposed splitting a contract to supply aerial refueling tankers to the U.S. Air Force with Boeing Co., said the company’s chief executive for North America.
The way I read it is that this is only a proposal from the side of Airbus. And nowhere can I find a solid reference that Boeing or the US government have accepted the proposal or are even considering it. Only reference there is, is that “some” officials agree with it but that they have to remain nameless. That’s an easy excuse!
”Sole-source management has proved to be a bad technique,” Crosby said. ”This is an approach I think deserves substantial consideration.”
Woah, Crosby is saying this deserves substantial consideration. But who is he? It is not mentioned in the article, but a quick google search reveals he is the CEO of Airbus North America. So a somewhat biased opinion.
Competition would lower the government’s costs, even with the higher cost of maintaining a fleet of planes from two manufacturers, said Richard Aboulafia, vice president of Teal Group, a Fairfax, Virginia-based consulting company.
I wonder for whom the Teal Group did this research. Could it, by any chance, be Airbus NA?
Nonetheless, competition is indeed a good thing to lower costs. So let’s not assume an A vs B competition but something more politically desirable. A US vs US competition. Boeing with the 767 vs Lockheed with a new program or converted 2nd hand planes (or another large aircraft maintenance centre).
Sorry, this to me seems to be just Airbus day dreaming. We all know who will win this competition. The only question that is still open is how much money Boeing will make from this tender.
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