Page 3 - AAA SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2012 Online Magazine

AERIAl vIEW
CONTENTS

EDITOR’S NOTE CREDITS

EDITOR
JEREMY TORR
jeremy.torr@gbp.com.sg
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
JOsEphinE pang
bEhInD EnEMY lInES josephine.pang@gbp.com.sg
in what it called a “major strategic announcement” airbus broke the news a few ExECuTIvE PublIShER & CEO
weeks back that it will be setting up an assembly line at the brookley aeroplex ViTTORiO ROssi pRudEnTE
in Mobile, alabama – deep in boeing home territory. Work will start on building vittorio.prudente@gbp.com.sg
the assembly line next year, and airbus projects that will produce between 40 COO & MARkETIng DIRECTOR, ASIA
and 50 aircraft per year will be rolling out by 2018. boeing, which has seen some siVa sachi
siva.sachi@gbp.com.sg
particularly vexing union stand-offs come to nothing recently, will no doubt be
smarting as they see alabama state stump up some us$150 million to help the ART DIRECTOR
aRThuR chan
competition get the project up and running. arthur.chan@gbp.com.sg
WEb DIRECTOR
The line, which will handle a319, a320 and a321 aircraft will put all the advantages ElMER ValEncia
of local construction, cheap non-unionised labour, incentive perks and access elmer.valencia@gbp.com.sg
to us-specific technologies and components into airbus’s back pocket. and will CIRCulATIOn MAnAgER
enable airbus to skirt accusations of being an Eu-subsidised, us-job stealer as KhaiRul naEM
khairul.naem@gbp.com.sg
it ramps up output not just in the us but worldwide. as Fabrice brégier, airbus ADvERTISIng REPRESEnTATIvES
president and cEO pointed out at the announcement, “the us is the largest single- EuROPE, MiddlE EaST, SOuTh afRiCa &
aisle aircraft market in the world – with a projected need for 4,600 aircraft over the SOuTh aMERiCa
cOnTacT: ViTTORiO ROssi pRudEnTE
next 20 years – and this assembly line brings us closer to our customers.” TEl: +39 049 723 548 Fax: +39 049 856 0792 MOb:
+39 335 611 9295
EMail: vittorio.prudente@gbp.com.sg
but most importantly, the assembly facility puts airbus right into boeing’s hitherto
uncluttered backyard. it brings the ability to source materials and technology in aSEaN, PEOPlE’S REPuBliC Of ChiNa, TaiwaN,
hONg KONg & auSTRalaSia
dollars and not euros – and stick a stars and stripes on each plane produced. This cOnTacT: siVa sachi
is likely to make a huge difference when the two companies start waging what TEl: +603 778 12903/2909 Fax: +603 778 12915
MOb: +601 2905 6825
is predicted to be a major sales war as the us’s ageing commercial carrier fleet EMail: siva.sachi@gbp.com.sg
needs replacing over the next decade.
uSa & CaNada
cOnTacT: JOsh MaYER
The scenario is reminiscent of Toyota and honda futilely battling us-made gas- TEl : +1 972 816-6745 Fax : +1 972 767 4442
EMail : jm@mayeradvertising.com
guzzler vehicles in the late ‘80s. Faced with a stubbornly jingoistic american buying
public, the companies opted to take the battle to the enemy and set up car plants in SwiTzERlaNd
cOnTacT: RObERT ROTTMEiER
the deep south. both successfully used a “Made in the usa” platform to eventually TEl : +41 216 174 412 Fax : +41 216 170 921
dominate the car market in several important segments. MOb : +41 792 104 466
EMail : robertrottmeier@bluewin.ch
if airbus can repeat the trick that the Japanese carmakers pulled off, the market iSRaEl
cOnTacT: TaMiR EshEl
for single-aisle aircraft in the us could look very different in a decade or so. and TEl : + 972 544 508 028 / +972 989 117 92
that’s without considering who will win the JV race in china. One question remains: Fax : +972 989 199 65
EMail : eshel_tamir@yahoo.com
will we see a boeing factory in depressed greece or portugal? although that seems
unlikely, one thing is for sure. airlines will be smiling all the way to the bank.

Global Business Press Pte. Ltd.
asian aiRlinEs & aiRpORTs
level 34, centennial Tower,
3 Temasek avenue, singapore 039190.
Tel : +65 6549 7706 Fax : +65 6549 7011
Email : enquiry@gbp.com.sg
Web : www.gbp.com.sg
asian aiRlinEs & aiRpORTs is a monthly publication for
professionals working in all sectors of the airline, airport
JEREMY TORR and related industries. Opinions expressed by contributors in
asian aiRlinEs & aiRpORTs do not necessarily represent
Editor those of the publisher or editor. This publication may not be
reproduced or transmitted in any form in whole or in part
without the written express consent of the publishers.
WWW.ASIANAIRLINES-AIRPORTS.COM SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2012 ASIAN AIRLINES & AIRPORTS 3