Airbus 8 industry partners move to stop conflict

Airbus and eight industry partners have called upon Prime Ministers David Cameron (United Kingdom), Francois Fillon(France), Angela Merkel (Germany) and Mariano Rajoy (Spain), to take action to stop an escalating trade conflict with China and other countries opposing the European Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). The eight industry partners are Air Berlin, Air France, British Airways, Iberia, Lufthansa, MTU Aero Engines, Safran and Virgin Atlantic. In a statement Monday, Airbus said, in their joint letter, the nine chief executive officers (CEOs) confirmed that as a response to European ETS, aviation related businesses are now faced with real concrete action with serious consequences to the European aviation business. "In many of the countries opposed to ETS, counter-measures and restrictions on European airlines are in preparation, such as special taxes and even traffic rights limitations. "In China, approval for US$12 billion worth of Airbus orders, have been suspended. Airbus estimates that this will jeopardise more than 1,000 Airbus jobs in Europe and at least another 1,000 in the supply chain," it added.