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Mockup of a gym on the MD-12.

The Collapse of The

Asian Airbus Dream

By Geoffrey Thomas

n the early 1990s McDonnell longer, with the first having exclusively to the author in a
Douglas was searching the same wing while trading 2005 interview, “The MD-82
I for partners for a stretched range for passengers; the assembly contract and joint
version of its troubled MD-11 second—which emerged as the venture with China [Shanghai]
trijet and tried to create an Asian MD-12X—to have a ‘modified was the start of the Asian con-
Airbus styled consortium to bring wing’ to restore the range defi- cept. We could see what could
together the best of Asian skills ciency of the MD-11. be done.” That contract, for the
and work ethic while tapping With Airbus turning its back on assembly of up to 40 aircraft
lower labour costs. an MDC tie-up in 1988, Asia was signed in April 1985 after six
The company initially wanted to offered a lifeline. According years of negotiations started by
develop two stretched MD-11 to former MDC corporate VP former Douglas President John
variants, both 35ft (10.7m) Gareth Chang, who spoke Brizendine.

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