Airbus S.A.S. better known as simply Airbus, based in Toulouse, France, is
the world's top commercial aircraft manufacturer measured by orders and
deliveries for 2003 and 2004.
Airbus also delivered more planes than its closest rival, Boeing in 2005.
Boeing, however had more orders, in 2005, for the 1st time since 2000.
It
was incorporated in 2001 under French law as a simplified joint stock
company or "S.A.S." (Société par Actions Simplifiée).
Airbus was formerly known as Airbus Industrie and is commonly just named
Airbus.
Airbus is jointly held by EADS (80%) and BAE Systems (20%), Europe's two
largest military suppliers and manufacturers.
As of
2005, its CEO is Gustav Humbert.
Airbus employs around 50,000 people in essentially four European
countries: France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Spain.
Final
assembly production occurs at Toulouse (France) and Hamburg (Germany).
The
main competitor of Airbus is Boeing, with which it fights an intense
commercial and political war.
History
Airbus Industrie began as a consortium of European aviation firms to
compete with American companies such as Boeing and McDonnell Douglas.
In
the 1960s European aircraft manufacturers competed with each other as much
as the American giants. In
the mid-1960s tentative negotiations commenced regarding a European
collaborative approach began.
In
September 1967 the British, French and German governments signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to start development of the 300 seat
Airbus A300. This
was the second major joint aircraft programme in Europe, following the
Concorde, for which no ongoing consortium was devised.
An
earlier announcement had been made in July 1967 but had been complicated
by the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC).
The
British government refused to back its proposed competitor, a development
of the BAC 1-11 and instead supported the Airbus aircraft.
In
the months following this agreement both the French and British
governments expressed doubts about the aircraft.
Another problem was the requirement for a new engine (to be developed by
Rolls-Royce, the RB207). In
December 1968 the French and British partner companies, Sud Aviation and
Hawker Siddeley proposed a revised configuration, the 250 seat Airbus
A250.
Renamed the A300B the aircraft would not require new engines, reducing
development costs. In
1969 the British government shocked its partners by withdrawing from the
project. Given
the participation by Hawker Siddeley up to that point, France and Germany
were reluctant to take over their wing design.
Thus
the British company was allowed to continue as a major subcontractor.
In
1978 Britain rejoined the consortium when British Aerospace (the merged
Hawker Siddeley and BAC) purchased a 20% share of the company. Airbus formed
Airbus Industrie was formally set up in 1970 following an agreement
between Aerospatiale (France) and Deutsche Aerospace (Germany) (joined by
CASA of Spain in 1971). Each
company would deliver its sections as fully equipped, ready to fly items.
The
name "Airbus" was taken from a non-proprietary term used by the airline
industry in the 1960s to refer to a commercial aircraft of a certain size
and range, for this term was acceptable to the French linguistically.
In
1972 the A300 made its maiden flight and the first production model, the
A300B2 entered service in 1974.
Initially the success of the consortium was poor but by 1979 there were 81
aircraft in service. It
was the launch of the A320 in 1981 that guaranteed Airbus as a major
player in the aircraft market - the aircraft had over 400 orders before it
first flew, compared to 15 for the A300 in 1972.
It
was a fairly loose alliance but that changed in 2000 when DASA,
Aerospatiale and CASA merged to form EADS and in 2001 when BAE Systems
(formerly British Aerospace) and EADS formed the Airbus Integrated Company
to coincide with the development of the new Airbus A380, which will seat
555 passengers and be the world's largest commercial passenger jet when it
enters service in 2006. On
April 27, 2005, the A380 successfully completed its maiden flight in
Toulouse, France. The
flight lasted almost four hours, the plane taking off from Toulouse
Blagnac Airport at 08:29 UTC (10:29 a.m. local time), going west towards
the Atlantic Ocean, turning around above the ocean, flying above the
Pyrenees mountains, and landing at Toulouse Blagnac Airport at 12:23 UTC
(2:23 p.m. local time). The
crew was made up of French test pilots Jacques Rosay (captain for the
take-off and the initial part of the test flight) and Claude Lelaie
(captain for the second part of the test flight including the landing), as
well as three flight test engineers (Spanish, French, and German).
With
the recent Franco-German controversy over the leadership of EADS still
fresh in mind, Airbus issued a statement to make it clear that the crew
had been chosen not based on nationality, but based on competence.
Test
flights are due to continue until mid-2006. Civilian
products The
Airbus product line started with the A300, the world's first twin-aisle,
twin-engined aircraft. A
shorter variant of the A300 is known as the A310.
Building on its success, Airbus launched the A320 with its innovative
fly-by-wire control system. The
A320 was a great commercial success.
The
A318 and A319 are shorter derivatives with some of the latter under
construction for the corporate biz-jet market (Airbus Corporate Jet).
A
stretched version is known as the A321 and is proving competitive with
later models of the Boeing 737.
The
longer range products, the twin-jet A330 and the four-jet A340, have
efficient wings, enhanced by winglets.
The
Airbus A340-500 has an operating range of 16,700 kilometres (9000 nautical
miles), the second longest range of any commercial jet after the Boeing
777-200LR (range of 17,446 km or 9420 nautical miles).
These
are competing strongly with the equivalent Boeing products and may partly
explain the cessation of airliner production at Lockheed in 1983 and the
take-over of McDonnell Douglas by the surviving US builder of
long-distance airliners, Boeing, in 1996-1997.
The
company is particularly proud of its use of fly-by-wire technologies and
the common cockpit and systems in use throughout the aircraft family,
which make it much easier to train crew. Military
products In
January 1999 Airbus established a separate company, Airbus Military
S.A.S., to undertake development and production of a turboprop powered
military transport aircraft (the Airbus Military A400M.)
The
A400M is being developed by several NATO members, Belgium, France,
Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Turkey, and the UK, as an alternative to the
C-130 Hercules.
Expansion in the military aircraft market will reduce, but not negate,
Airbus' exposure to the effects of cyclical downturns in civil aviation.
•
Airbus A400M
•
A310 MRTT (Multi Role Tanker Transport)
•
A330 MRTT
Competition with Boeing In
2003, for the first time in its 33-year history, Airbus delivered more
jet-powered airliners than Boeing.
Boeing states that the Boeing 777 has outsold its Airbus counterparts,
which include the A340 family as well as the A330-300.
The
smaller A330-200 competes with the 767, outselling its Boeing counterpart,
but it is speculated that the introduction of the 787 may improve Boeing's
market share in this segment and possibly outsell the A330.
The
A380 is anticipated to further reduce sales of the Boeing 747, gaining
Airbus a share of the market in very large aircraft.
Boeing is building a stretched version of the 747, the 747-8, which will
provide increased competition for the A380.
Currently there are around 3,850 Airbus aircraft in service, with Airbus
winning more than 50 per cent of aircraft orders in recent years.
But
Airbus products are still outnumbered 6 to 1 by in-service Boeings (there
are over 4,000 Boeing 737s alone in service, for example).
This
however is indicative of historical success - Airbus made a late entry
into the modern jet airliner market (1972 vs. 1958 for Boeing).
Airbus won a greater share of orders and delivered more aircraft in 2003
and 2004. At
the aircraft show in Le Bourget in June 2005, Airbus outperformed Boeing
in aeroplane sales.
Airbus has contracted for the sale of 280 airliners with a contract price
of 34 billion dollars, whereas Boeing received orders for 146 aeroplanes
priced in total with 15 billion dollars.
However, in terms of gross firm orders for 2005, Boeing has once again
taken the lead with 825, compared to 687 for Airbus (at the end of
November 2005, the last date for which matching figures are available).
Subsidies
Boeing has continually protested over "launch aid" and other forms of
government aid to Airbus, while Airbus has argued that Boeing receives
illegal subsidies through military and research contracts and tax breaks.
In
July 2004 Harry Stonecipher (Boeing CEO) accused Airbus of abusing a 1992
non-binding agreement covering launch aid.
Airbus is given launch aid from European governments with the money being
paid back with interest, plus indefinite royalties, but only if the plane
is a commercial success.
Airbus contends that this system is fully compliant with the 1992
agreement and WTO rules. The
agreement allows up to 33 per cent of the programme cost to be met through
government loans which are to be fully repaid within 17 years with
interest and royalties. These
loans are held at a minimum interest rate equal to the cost of government
borrowing plus 0.25%, which would be below market rates available to
Airbus without government support.
Airbus claims that since the signature of the EU-U.S. Agreement in 1992,
it has repaid European governments more than U.S.$6.7 billion and that
this is 40% more than it has received.
On
the other hand Airbus argues that the pork barrel military contracts
awarded to Boeing (the second largest U.S. defence contractor) are in
effect a form of subsidy (see the Boeing KC-767 military contracting
controversy).
However, Airbus receives military contracts that are awarded by various
governments all over the world.
It
would be a mistake to say that one side is getting the subsidy, while the
other side is not. The
significant U.S. government support of technology development via NASA
also provides significant support to Boeing, as does the large tax breaks
offered to Boeing which some claim are in violation of the 1992 agreement
and WTO rules. In
its recent products such as the 787, Boeing has also been offered
substantial support from local and state governments.
On
the other hand, it has been argued that in U.S. government support of
technology development, anyone can benefit from the results;
even
Airbus can benefit from them.
In
January 2005 the European Union and United States trade representatives,
Peter Mandelson and Robert Zoellick (since replaced by Rob Portman)
respectively, agreed to talks aimed at resolving the increasing tensions.
These
talks were not successful with the dispute becoming more acrimonious
rather than approaching a settlement. WTO litigation
On
May 31, 2005 the United States filed a case against the European Union for
providing allegedly illegal subsidies to Airbus.
24
hours later the European Union filed a complaint against the United States
protesting support for Boeing.
Portman (from the USA) and Mandelson (from the EU) issued a joint
statement stating: "We
remain united in our determination that this dispute shall not affect our
cooperation on wider bilateral and multilateral trade issues.
We
have worked together well so far, and intend to continue to do so."
Tensions increased by the support for the Airbus A380 have erupted into a
potential trade war due to the upcoming launch of the Airbus A350.
Airbus would ideally like the A350 programme to be launched with the help
of state loans covering a third of the development costs although it has
stated it will launch without these loans if required.
The
A350 will compete with Boeing's most successful project in recent years,
the 787 Dreamliner. EU
trade officials are questioning the funding provided by the Japanese
Government and Japanese companies as well as some US states for the launch
of the 787.
Stiff Competition in Japan
The
two large Japanese airlines, Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways, are
traditionally very loyal Boeing customers, with that manufacturer's
products accounting for about 90% of their fleets.
Both
airlines have some Airbus products (A300 for JAL, not ordered by JAL but
in the fleet because of the takeover of Japan Air System, and A320/A321
for All Nippon Airways, which the airline ordered).
However, ANA have started the transition to an all-Boeing fleet, after the
entry into service of the 737 NG and later the 787.
A
move such as this will leave Airbus with virtually no market share in
Japan.
Significantly, no orders have been taken for the A380 from Japanese
airlines, despite the fact that very large 747 fleets (in JAL's case, the
world's largest) are being operated in the country.
Airbus has established a branch office in Japan in order to increase the
sales efforts, but how that will work in Airbus's favor remains a mystery.
In
2005, one success for Airbus was Sagawa Express' firm order of 1 A300-600F
aircraft and 1 option of the same type.
Star
Flyer, a new airline in Japan, has announced that they may use A320 for
their service when the new Kita Kyushu Airport is opened.
In
October 2005, ANA ordered 5 A320s, but merely as an interim measure before
the 737NG (New Generation) was available.
ANA
has not changed their mind about retiring their Airbus fleet.
A
major factor contributing to the Boeing loyalty is the close manufacturing
partnership between Boeing and several Japanese consortiums, most notably
in the production of the wings of 787.
Besides that, airlines in Japan were being consulted by Boeing in the
design phase of 777. Even
though these manufacturers are distinct from the airlines, the Japanese
government is strongly encouraging aerospace cooperation with Boeing, and
the tightly-knit nature of Japanese keiretsu corporate networks will
ensure that Japan will be an extremely difficult market for Airbus to
profit from.
International manufacturing presence
The
three final assembly lines of Airbus are in Toulouse (France) (two
assembly lines) and Hamburg (Germany) (one assembly line).
A
fourth final assembly line, for the Airbus A400M, is under contruction in
Seville (Spain). It is
estimated that this new assembly line will be operational by October 2006.
Airbus, however, has a number of other plants in different European
locations, reflecting its foundation as a consortium.
An
original solution to the problem of moving aircraft parts between the
different factories and the assembly plants is the use of "Beluga"
specially enlarged jets, capable of carrying entire sections of fuselage
of Airbus aircraft. This
solution is also being investigated by Boeing, who are considering
producing an enlarged version of their 747 aircraft to transport the
components of the 7E7. An
exception to this scheme is the A380, whose fuselage and wings are too
large for sections to be carried by the Beluga.
Large
A380 parts are brought by ship to Bordeaux, and then transported to the
Toulouse assembly plant by a specially enlarged road.
North
America is an important region to Airbus in terms of both aircraft sales
and suppliers. 2,000
of the total of approximately 5,300 Airbus jetliners sold by Airbus around
the world, representing every aircraft in its product line from the
107-seat A318 to the 565-passenger A380, are ordered by North American
customers. US
contractors supporting an estimated 120,000 jobs earned estimated $5.5
billion (2003) worth of business.
For
example, the A380 has 51% American content in terms of work share value.
° |
TESTO PARALLELO INCASELLATO
Scopri come è facile capire
l'inglese se c'è a fianco la traduzione parallela incasellata! |
Airbus S.A.S. better known as simply Airbus, based in Toulouse, France, is
the world's top commercial aircraft manufacturer measured by orders and
deliveries for 2003 and 2004. |
Airbus S.A.S.,
meglio conosciuta come Airbus, con sede a Tolosa, Francia, è il maggiore
produttore mondiale di velivoli commerciali, considerando ordini e
consegne del 2003 e 2004. |
Airbus also delivered more planes than its closest rival, Boeing in 2005. |
Anche nel 2005 ha
consegnato più velivoli del suo stretto rivale Boeing. |
Boeing, however had more orders, in 2005, for the 1st time since 2000. |
Tuttavia, per la
prima volta dal 2000, la Boeing nel 2005 ha ricevuto più ordini. |
It
was incorporated in 2001 under French law as a simplified joint stock
company or "S.A.S." (Société par Actions Simplifiée). |
E’ stata costituita
nel 2001 sotto la giurisdizione francese come Società per Azioni
Semplificata “S.A.S.” |
Airbus was formerly known as Airbus Industrie and is commonly just named
Airbus. |
Airbus S.A.S.,
inizialmente nota col nome di Airbus Industrie, oggi è conosciuta
semplicemente come Airbus. |
Airbus is jointly held by EADS (80%) and BAE Systems (20%), Europe's two
largest military suppliers and manufacturers. |
Airbus è una
società integrata costituita da EADS (European Aeronautic Defence and
Space) con una quota dell’80% e da BAE Systems con una quota del 20%, i
due maggiori fornitori e produttori militari europei |
As of
2005, its CEO is Gustav Humbert. |
Dal 2005 il
presidente è Gustav Humbert |
Airbus employs around 50,000 people in essentially four European
countries: France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Spain. |
Airbus impiega
circa 50000 persone in diversi paesi europei, principalmete nei quattro
paesi partner Francia, Germania, Regno Unito e Spagna. |
Final
assembly production occurs at Toulouse (France) and Hamburg (Germany). |
L’assemblaggio
finale dei velivoli è realizzato a Tolosa (Francia) e ad Amburgo, in
Germania |
The
main competitor of Airbus is Boeing, with which it fights an intense
commercial and political war. |
Il principale
concorrente dell’Airbus è l’americana Boeing, contro la quale lotta
continuamente un’intensa guerra politica e commerciale. |
History |
Storia
|
Airbus Industrie began as a consortium of European aviation firms to
compete with American companies such as Boeing and McDonnell Douglas. |
Airbus Industrie
ha iniziato la sua attività come consorzio di imprese aeronautiche europee
per poter competere con le industrie americane come la Boeing e la
McDonnel Douglas. |
In
the 1960s European aircraft manufacturers competed with each other as much
as the American giants. |
Negli anni ’60 i
costruttori aeronautici europei erano in aperta concorrenza tra di loro e
con i giganti americani. |
In
the mid-1960s tentative negotiations commenced regarding a European
collaborative approach began. |
Solo verso la metà
degli anni ’60 furono avviati i primi tentativi di negoziazione riguardo
una possibile collaborazione europea. |
In
September 1967 the British, French and German governments signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to start development of the 300 seat
Airbus A300. |
Nel settembre del
1967 i governi britannico, francese e tedesco firmarono un Memorandum di
Intesa (MoD – dalla sigla inglese Memorandum of Understanding) per l’avvio
dello sviluppo del 300 posti Airbus A300. |
This
was the second major joint aircraft programme in Europe, following the
Concorde, for which no ongoing consortium was devised. |
Questo fu il
secondo tra i più grandi programmi aeronautici congiunti in Europa, dopo
il Concorde, per il quale non fu concepito nessun consorzio. |
An
earlier announcement had been made in July 1967 but had been complicated
by the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC). |
Un primo tentativo
fu fatto nel luglio 1967, ma fu reso difficile dalla British Aircraft
Corporation (BAC). |
The
British government refused to back its proposed competitor, a development
of the BAC 1-11 and instead supported the Airbus aircraft. |
Il governo
britannico, infatti, si rifiutò di rinviare il proprio progetto, uno
sviluppo del BAC 1-11, e quindi di sostenere il velivolo Airbus. |
In
the months following this agreement both the French and British
governments expressed doubts about the aircraft. |
Nei mesi che
seguirono l’accordo, i due governi, francese e britannico, espressero
qualche dubbio riguardo al nuovo velivolo. |
Another problem was the requirement for a new engine (to be developed by
Rolls-Royce, the RB207). |
Un altro grande
problema era costituito dalla necessità di un nuovo motore (che avrebbe
dovuto sviluppare la Rolls-Royce, l’RB207). |
In
December 1968 the French and British partner companies, Sud Aviation and
Hawker Siddeley proposed a revised configuration, the 250 seat Airbus
A250. |
Nel dicembre del
1968 le due compagnie partner, francese e britannica, Sud Aviation e
Hawker Siddeley, proposero una nuova configurazione, il 250 posti Airbus
A250. |
Renamed the A300B the aircraft would not require new engines, reducing
development costs. |
La nuova versione
del velivolo, rinominata A300B, non richiedeva nuovi motori, il che
comportava una notevole riduzione dei costi di sviluppo. |
In
1969 the British government shocked its partners by withdrawing from the
project. |
Nel 1969 il governo
britannico scosse i suoi partners ritirandosi dal progetto. |
Given
the participation by Hawker Siddeley up to that point, France and Germany
were reluctant to take over their wing design. |
Data la
partecipazione della Hawker Siddeley fino a quel punto, Francia e Germania
si mostrarono riluttanti ad assumere la direzione del progetto delle ali. |
Thus
the British company was allowed to continue as a major subcontractor. |
Perciò alla
compagnia britannica fu permesso di continuare il suo lavoro come maggiore
subappaltatore. |
In
1978 Britain rejoined the consortium when British Aerospace (the merged
Hawker Siddeley and BAC) purchased a 20% share of the company. |
Nel 1978 la Gran
Bretagna rientrò nel consorzio quando British Aerospace (fusione tra
Hawker e BAC) acquistò una quota del 20% della compagnia. |
Airbus formed |
La costituzione di Airbus
|
Airbus Industrie was formally set up in 1970 following an agreement
between Aerospatiale (France) and Deutsche Aerospace (Germany) (joined by
CASA of Spain in 1971). |
Airbus Industrie fu
formalmente costituita nel 1970 dall’accordo tra Aerospatiale (Francia) e
Deutsche Aerospace (Germania) (ai quali si aggiunse la società spagnola
CASA nel 1971). |
Each
company would deliver its sections as fully equipped, ready to fly items. |
Ogni compagnia
avrebbe dovuto consegnare le proprie sezioni totalmente equipaggiate,
pronti per volare. |
The
name "Airbus" was taken from a non-proprietary term used by the airline
industry in the 1960s to refer to a commercial aircraft of a certain size
and range, for this term was acceptable to the French linguistically. |
Il nome “Airbus” fu
preso da un termine non–proprietario usato dalle compagnie aeree negli
anni ’60 per indicare un velivolo commerciale con determinate dimensioni e
range, inoltre questo termine era accettabile linguisticamente anche dalla
Francia. |
In
1972 the A300 made its maiden flight and the first production model, the
A300B2 entered service in 1974. |
Nel 1972 l’A300
compì il suo primo volo e la prima versione di produzione, l’A300B2 entrò
in servizio nel 1974. Inizialmente il
consorzio non ebbe un grande successo, nel 1979 c’erano soltanto 81
velivoli in servizio. |
Initially the success of the consortium was poor but by 1979 there were 81
aircraft in service. |
It
was the launch of the A320 in 1981 that guaranteed Airbus as a major
player in the aircraft market - the aircraft had over 400 orders before it
first flew, compared to 15 for the A300 in 1972. |
Fu il lancio
dell’A320 nel 1981 che garanti ad Airbus il titolo di maggiore attore
nel mercato aeronautico civile - il velivolo ebbe più di 400 ordini
prima ancora di effettuare il primo volo, un bel risultato se comparato
ai 15 dell’A300 del 1972. |
It
was a fairly loose alliance but that changed in 2000 when DASA,
Aerospatiale and CASA merged to form EADS and in 2001 when BAE Systems
(formerly British Aerospace) and EADS formed the Airbus Integrated Company
to coincide with the development of the new Airbus A380, which will seat
555 passengers and be the world's largest commercial passenger jet when it
enters service in 2006. |
L’alleanza alle
soglie del 2000 era quasi del tutto sciolta, ma cambiò tutto quando
DASA, Aerospaziale e CASA fecero una fusione per formare EADS e nel 2001
quando BAE e EADS formarono la Compagnia Integrata Airbus per avviare lo
sviluppo del nuovo Airbus A380, che potrà ospitare 555 passeggeri e sarà
il più grande aereo passeggeri del mondo quando entrerà in servizio nel
2006 |
On
April 27, 2005, the A380 successfully completed its maiden flight in
Toulouse, France. |
Il 27 aprile 2005
l’A380 ha effettuato con successo il suo primo volo a Tolosa, Francia. |
The
flight lasted almost four hours, the plane taking off from Toulouse
Blagnac Airport at 08:29 UTC (10:29 a.m. local time), going west towards
the Atlantic Ocean, turning around above the ocean, flying above the
Pyrenees mountains, and landing at Toulouse Blagnac Airport at 12:23 UTC
(2:23 p.m. local time). |
Il volo è durato
quasi quattro ore, il decollo è stato effettuato dall’aeroporto di
Tolosa Blagnac alle 8:29 UTC (10:29 a.m. orario locale), è andato ad
ovest verso l’oceano atlantico, ha girato sull’oceano, ha volato sui
Pirenei ed è atterrato a Tolosa Blagnac alle 12:23 UTC (2:23 p.m. orario
locale). |
The
crew was made up of French test pilots Jacques Rosay (captain for the
take-off and the initial part of the test flight) and Claude Lelaie
(captain for the second part of the test flight including the landing), as
well as three flight test engineers (Spanish, French, and German). |
L’equipaggio era
costituito dal pilota collaudatore francese Jacques Rosay (capitano al
decollo e per la prima fase del volo di prova), Claude Lelaie (capitano
per la seconda parte del volo, compreso l’atterraggio) e da tre
ingegneri collaudatori (spagnolo, francese, e tedesco). |
With
the recent Franco-German controversy over the leadership of EADS still
fresh in mind, Airbus issued a statement to make it clear that the crew
had been chosen not based on nationality, but based on competence. |
Data la recente
controversia franco-tedesca sulla leadership dell’EADS, Airbus ha
pubblicato un annuncio per chiarire che la scelta dell’equipaggio si è
basata sulle competenze specifiche di ogni componente e non sulla loro
nazionalità. |
Test
flights are due to continue until mid-2006. |
I voli di test
continueranno fino a metà del 2006 |
Civilian
products |
Prodotti civili
|
The
Airbus product line started with the A300, the world's first twin-aisle,
twin-engined aircraft. |
La linea di
prodotti Airbus ha avuto inizio con l’A300, il primo velivolo bimotore
al mondo a due corridoi. |
A
shorter variant of the A300 is known as the A310. |
Una variante più
corta del dell’A300 è conosciuta come A310. |
Building on its success, Airbus launched the A320 with its innovative
fly-by-wire control system. |
Sulla scia di
questo grande successo, Airbus ha lanciato l’A320 con il suo innovativo
sistema di controllo fly-by-wire. |
The
A320 was a great commercial success. |
L’A320 è stato un
grande successo commerciale. |
The
A318 and A319 are shorter derivatives with some of the latter under
construction for the corporate biz-jet market (Airbus Corporate Jet). |
L’A318 e l’A319
sono derivati più corti, alcuni di quest’ultimo modello sono in fase di
realizzazione per il mercato aziendale biz-jet (Airbus Corporate Jet). |
A
stretched version is known as the A321 and is proving competitive with
later models of the Boeing 737. |
La versione
allungata è conosciuta come A321 che si sta rivelando competitivo con le
ultime versioni del Boeing 737. |
The
longer range products, the twin-jet A330 and the four-jet A340, have
efficient wings, enhanced by winglets. |
I prodotti ad ampio
range, il bimotore A330 e il quadrimotore A340, hanno ali ad alta
efficienza, migliorate per mezzo di winglets. |
The
Airbus A340-500 has an operating range of 16,700 kilometres (9000 nautical
miles), the second longest range of any commercial jet after the Boeing
777-200LR (range of 17,446 km or 9420 nautical miles). |
L’A340-500 ha un
range operativo di 16700 kilometri (9000 miglia nautiche), il secondo
jet commerciale con il più grande raggio d’azione dopo il Boeing
777-200LR (raggio d’azione 17446 km o 9420 miglia). |
These
are competing strongly with the equivalent Boeing products and may partly
explain the cessation of airliner production at Lockheed in 1983 and the
take-over of McDonnell Douglas by the surviving US builder of
long-distance airliners, Boeing, in 1996-1997. |
Questi modelli sono
in forte competizione con gli equivalenti prodotti Boeing e ciò può
spiegare parzialmente l’interruzione della produzione di velivoli
passeggeri da parte della Lookeed nel 1983 e il rilevamento della
McDonnell Douglas da parte del sopravvissuto costruttore statunitense di
velivoli ad ampio raggio, Boeing, nel 1996-1997 |
The
company is particularly proud of its use of fly-by-wire technologies and
the common cockpit and systems in use throughout the aircraft family,
which make it much easier to train crew. |
Airbus è
particolarmente fiera dell’utilizzo della sua tecnologia fly-by-wire,
inoltre, la cabina di pilotaggio e i sistemi condivisi in uso nella
famiglia di velivoli prodotti, rendono più semplice la formazione degli
equipaggi. |
Military
products |
Prodotti militari
|
In
January 1999 Airbus established a separate company, Airbus Military
S.A.S., to undertake development and production of a turboprop powered
military transport aircraft (the Airbus Military A400M.) |
Nel gennaio 1999
Airbus ha creato una compagnia indipendente, Airbus Military S.A.S., per
avviare lo sviluppo e la produzione di un velivolo da trasporto militare
a turbopropulsori (l’Airbus Military A400M). |
The
A400M is being developed by several NATO members, Belgium, France,
Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Turkey, and the UK, as an alternative to the
C-130 Hercules. |
L’A400M è stato
sviluppato da diversi membri della NATO, Belgio, Francia, Germania,
Lussemburgo, Spagna, Turchia, e Regno Unito, come alternativa
all’Hercules C-130. |
Expansion in the military aircraft market will reduce, but not negate,
Airbus' exposure to the effects of cyclical downturns in civil aviation. |
L’entrata nel
mercato dei velivoli militari ridurrà, anche se non annullerà,
l’esposizione di Airbus agli effetti ciclici di depressione economica
nel campo dell’aviazione civile. |
•
Airbus A400M |
•
Airbus A400M |
•
A310 MRTT (Multi Role Tanker Transport) |
•
A310 MRTT (Multi Role Tanker Transport) |
•
A330 MRTT |
•
A330 MRTT |
Competition with Boeing |
La competizione
con Boeing |
In
2003, for the first time in its 33-year history, Airbus delivered more
jet-powered airliners than Boeing. |
Nel 2003, per la
prima volta nei suoi 33 anni di storia, Airbus ha consegnato più
velivoli a getto della Boeing. |
Boeing states that the Boeing 777 has outsold its Airbus counterparts,
which include the A340 family as well as the A330-300. |
La Boeing dichiara
che il Boeing 777 ha superato il suoi equivalenti Airbus, che includono
la famiglia A340 e l’A330-300. |
The
smaller A330-200 competes with the 767, outselling its Boeing counterpart,
but it is speculated that the introduction of the 787 may improve Boeing's
market share in this segment and possibly outsell the A330. |
Il modello più
piccolo, L’A330-200, che compete con il Boeing 767, ha superato la sua
controparte Boeing, ma si pensa che l’introduzione del 787 potrà
incrementare la quota di mercato in questo segmento e probabilmente
supererà l’A330. |
The
A380 is anticipated to further reduce sales of the Boeing 747, gaining
Airbus a share of the market in very large aircraft. |
L’A380 preannuncia
invece un’ulteriore riduzione delle vendite del Boeing 747, in tal modo
Airbus incrementerà la quota di mercato nel segmento dei velivoli di
grande capacità. |
Boeing is building a stretched version of the 747, the 747-8, which will
provide increased competition for the A380. |
Attualmente, Boeing
sta pianificando la realizzazione del rivale dell’A380 denominato 747-8,
una versione allungata del 747 |
Currently there are around 3,850 Airbus aircraft in service, with Airbus
winning more than 50 per cent of aircraft orders in recent years. |
Al momento, in
servizio ci sono circa 3850 velivoli Airbus, che negli ultimi anni si è
assicurata il 50 % degli ordini. |
But
Airbus products are still outnumbered 6 to 1 by in-service Boeings (there
are over 4,000 Boeing 737s alone in service, for example). |
I prodotti Airbus,
però, sono ancora di gran lunga inferiori numericamente, 6 a 1, rispetto
ai velivoli Boeing in servizio (per esempio, di soli Boeing 737 ce ne
sono oltre 4000 in servizio.) |
This
however is indicative of historical success - Airbus made a late entry
into the modern jet airliner market (1972 vs. 1958 for Boeing). |
Questo tuttavia è
indicativo dello storico successo – Airbus è entrata di recente nel
moderno mercato dei velivoli a getto (1972 contro 1958 per Boeing). |
Airbus won a greater share of orders and delivered more aircraft in 2003
and 2004. |
Airbus negli ultimi
anni ha conquistato una grande quota di ordini e nel 2003 e 2004 ha
consegnato più velivoli. |
At
the aircraft show in Le Bourget in June 2005, Airbus outperformed Boeing
in aeroplane sales. |
All’esposizione di
velivoli di Le Bourget nel Giugno 2005, le vendite Airbus hanno superato
quelle della Boeing. |
Airbus has contracted for the sale of 280 airliners with a contract price
of 34 billion dollars, whereas Boeing received orders for 146 aeroplanes
priced in total with 15 billion dollars. |
Airbus infatti, ha
stipulato contratti per la vendita di 280 velivoli per un totale di 34
miliardi di dollari, mentre Boeing ha ricevuto ordini per 146 velivoli
per un totale di 15 miliardi di dollari. |
However, in terms of gross firm orders for 2005, Boeing has once again
taken the lead with 825, compared to 687 for Airbus (at the end of
November 2005, the last date for which matching figures are available). |
Tuttavia, in
termini globali per il 2005, la Boeing ancora una volta ha superato
Airbus con 825 ordini contro 687 (alla fine di novembre, ultima data
alla quale sono disponibili i dati) |
Subsidies |
Sovvenzioni
|
Boeing has continually protested over "launch aid" and other forms of
government aid to Airbus, while Airbus has argued that Boeing receives
illegal subsidies through military and research contracts and tax breaks. |
La Boeing protesta
continuamente per “l’assistenza al lancio” e altre forme di aiuti
governativi ad Airbus, mentre Airbus ha replicato dicendo che Boeing
riceve sovvenzioni illegali attraverso contratti militari, di ricerca e
abbattimento delle tasse. |
In
July 2004 Harry Stonecipher (Boeing CEO) accused Airbus of abusing a 1992
non-binding agreement covering launch aid. |
Nel luglio 2004,
Harry Stonecipher (presidente della Boeing) ha accusato Airbus di avere
approfittato degli accordi del 1992, per coprire l’assistenza al lancio. |
Airbus is given launch aid from European governments with the money being
paid back with interest, plus indefinite royalties, but only if the plane
is a commercial success. |
Secondo questa
versione, Airbus avrebbe ricevuto aiuti dai governi europei che avrebbe
poi restituito con i dovuti interessi, oltre a imprecisate royalties,
soltanto nel caso in cui il velivolo fosse stato un successo
commerciale. |
Airbus contends that this system is fully compliant with the 1992
agreement and WTO rules. |
Airbus ha ribadito
che questo sistema è totalmente conforme agli accordi del 1992 e alle
regole del WTO. |
The
agreement allows up to 33 per cent of the programme cost to be met through
government loans which are to be fully repaid within 17 years with
interest and royalties. |
L’accordo, infatti,
prevede che il costo del programma può esser finanziato fino al 33% con
fondi governativi, da restituire in 17 anni con interessi e royalties. |
These
loans are held at a minimum interest rate equal to the cost of government
borrowing plus 0.25%, which would be below market rates available to
Airbus without government support. |
Tali prestiti
vengono concessi a tassi di interesse minimi uguali al costo di
concessione del prestito più uno 0.25%, il che sarebbe al di sotto dei
tassi di mercato disponibili per Airbus senza il supporto governativo |
Airbus claims that since the signature of the EU-U.S. Agreement in 1992,
it has repaid European governments more than U.S.$6.7 billion and that
this is 40% more than it has received. |
Airbus sostiene che
dalla firma dell’accordo USA-EU nel 1992 ha restituito ai governi
europei più di 6,7 miliardi di dollari ossia 40% in più di quanto ha
ricevuto. |
On
the other hand Airbus argues that the pork barrel military contracts
awarded to Boeing (the second largest U.S. defence contractor) are in
effect a form of subsidy (see the Boeing KC-767 military contracting
controversy). |
Dall’altro lato
Airbus replica dicendo che i contratti militari governativi stipulati
dalla Boeing (il secondo più grande contraente della difesa USA) sono di
fatto una forma di sussidio (vedi la controversia sul contratto militare
del Boeing KC-767) |
However, Airbus receives military contracts that are awarded by various
governments all over the world. |
Tuttavia, Airbus ha
ottenuto appalti militari commissionati da vari governi di tutto il
mondo. |
It
would be a mistake to say that one side is getting the subsidy, while the
other side is not. |
Sarebbe un errore
dire che da un lato sta ottenendo aiuti finanziari, mentre dall’altro
no. |
The
significant U.S. government support of technology development via NASA
also provides significant support to Boeing, as does the large tax breaks
offered to Boeing which some claim are in violation of the 1992 agreement
and WTO rules. |
Il significativo
supporto governativo USA allo sviluppo tecnologico via NASA fornisce
alla Boeing un notevole appoggio, cosi come l’ampio abbattimento delle
tasse offerto alla Boeing, al punto che alcune concessioni violano
l’accordo del 1992 e le regole del WTO. |
In
its recent products such as the 787, Boeing has also been offered
substantial support from local and state governments. |
Nei prodotti
recenti come il 787, la Boeing ha ricevuto anche un sostanziale supporto
dai governi locali e dallo stato. |
On
the other hand, it has been argued that in U.S. government support of
technology development, anyone can benefit from the results; |
D’altra parte,
però, si è visto che il supporto governativo USA allo sviluppo di nuove
tecnologie, beneficia tutti,. |
even
Airbus can benefit from them. |
paradossalmente
anche Airbus può beneficiarne |
In
January 2005 the European Union and United States trade representatives,
Peter Mandelson and Robert Zoellick (since replaced by Rob Portman)
respectively, agreed to talks aimed at resolving the increasing tensions. |
Nel gennaio 2005 i
rappresentanti del commercio dell’Unione Europea e degli Stati Uniti,
Peter Mandelson e Robert Zoellick (da allora sostituito da Rob Portman)
rispettivamente, hanno preso accordi per discutere la possibilità di
risolvere le crescenti tensioni. |
These
talks were not successful with the dispute becoming more acrimonious
rather than approaching a settlement. |
Questi incontri,
però, sono stati un vero fallimento, visto che la disputa si è fatta più
astiosa anziché avvicinarsi ad una risoluzione. |
WTO litigation |
Il processo WTO |
On
May 31, 2005 the United States filed a case against the European Union for
providing allegedly illegal subsidies to Airbus. |
Il 31 maggio 2005
gli Stati Uniti hanno fatto causa all’Unione Europea per avere assegnato
presunte sovvenzioni illegali all’Airbus. |
24
hours later the European Union filed a complaint against the United States
protesting support for Boeing. |
Dopo sole 24 ore
l’Unione Europea ha presentato una protesta formale contro gli Stati
Uniti per il supporto fornito alla Boeing |
Portman (from the USA) and Mandelson (from the EU) issued a joint
statement stating: |
Portman (dagli
Stati Uniti) e Mendelson (dall’Europa) hanno emesso una dichiarazione
comune che afferma quanto segue: |
"We
remain united in our determination that this dispute shall not affect our
cooperation on wider bilateral and multilateral trade issues. |
“Rimaniamo uniti
nella nostra ferma volontà che questa disputa non comprometterà la
nostra cooperazione su questioni più ampie riguardo gli scambi
commerciali bilaterali e multilaterali. |
We
have worked together well so far, and intend to continue to do so." |
Abbiamo lavorato
bene insieme fino adesso e intendiamo continuare a farlo”. |
Tensions increased by the support for the Airbus A380 have erupted into a
potential trade war due to the upcoming launch of the Airbus A350. |
Le tensioni legate
al supporto dell’Airbus A380 nell’ultimo periodo si sono acuite a causa
dell’imminente lancio dell’Airbus A350 e potrebbe sfociare in una vera e
propria guerra commerciale. |
Airbus would ideally like the A350 programme to be launched with the help
of state loans covering a third of the development costs although it has
stated it will launch without these loans if required. |
Airbus vorrebbe
idealmente lanciare il programma A350 con l’aiuto di un finanziamento
statale che copra un terzo dei costi di sviluppo, benché abbia affermato
che il lancio del programma avverrà anche senza finanziamenti se dovesse
essere necessario. |
The
A350 will compete with Boeing's most successful project in recent years,
the 787 Dreamliner. |
L’A350 andrà a
concorrere con il più recente progetto di successo della Boeing, il
dreamliner 787 |
EU
trade officials are questioning the funding provided by the Japanese
Government and Japanese companies as well as some US states for the launch
of the 787. |
L'authority
europei per il commercio sta ora
mettendo in discussione il finanziamento concesso dal governo e dalle
compagnie giapponesi nonché dal governo statunitense per il lancio del
787. |
Stiff Competition in Japan |
La forte
concorrenza in Giappone |
The
two large Japanese airlines, Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways, are
traditionally very loyal Boeing customers, with that manufacturer's
products accounting for about 90% of their fleets. |
Le due grandi
compagnie aeree giapponesi, Japan Airlines e All Nippon Airways, sono
per tradizione fedeli clienti della Boeing, i prodotti della quale
costituiscono circa il 90 % delle loro flotte. |
Both
airlines have some Airbus products (A300 for JAL, not ordered by JAL but
in the fleet because of the takeover of Japan Air System, and A320/A321
for All Nippon Airways, which the airline ordered). |
Ambedue le
compagnie possiedono alcuni prodotti Airbus (l’A300 per la JAL, non
ordinato dalla JAL, si trovano nella flotta soltanto perché la JAL ha
accquisito la Japan Air System, e l’A320/321 per la Nippon Airways). |
However, ANA have started the transition to an all-Boeing fleet, after the
entry into service of the 737 NG and later the 787. |
Tuttavia, la ANA si
sta orientando verso una flotta costituita totalmente da Boeing, dopo
l’entrata in servizio del 737NG e poi del 787. |
A
move such as this will leave Airbus with virtually no market share in
Japan. |
Questa strategia
escluderà teoricamente l’Airbus dal mercato giapponese. |
Significantly, no orders have been taken for the A380 from Japanese
airlines, despite the fact that very large 747 fleets (in JAL's case, the
world's largest) are being operated in the country. |
Significativo è il
fatto che non ci siano stati ordini per l’A380 da parte delle compagnie
giapponesi, nonostante nel paese siano presenti grandi flotte di 747
(nel caso di JAL, la più grande del mondo). |
Airbus has established a branch office in Japan in order to increase the
sales efforts, but how that will work in Airbus's favor remains a mystery. |
Per potere
penetrare nel mercato giapponese, Airbus ha creato un’agenzia in
Giappone, quanto questo funzionerà a favore dell’Airbus rimane ancora un
mistero.
|
In
2005, one success for Airbus was Sagawa Express' firm order of 1 A300-600F
aircraft and 1 option of the same type. |
Nel 2005, un
successo per l’Airbus è stato l’ordine della Sagawa Express di un
A300-600F e di un'opzione per lo stesso modello |
Star
Flyer, a new airline in Japan, has announced that they may use A320 for
their service when the new Kita Kyushu Airport is opened. |
Star Flyer, la più
giovane compagnia giapponese ha annunciato che farà uso dell’A320 per i
suoi servizi quando il nuovo aeroporto di Kita Kyushu verrà aperto. |
In
October 2005, ANA ordered 5 A320s, but merely as an interim measure before
the 737NG (New Generation) was available. |
Nell’ottobre 2005,
ANA ha ordinato 5 A320, ma soltanto come misura temporanea in attesa che
il 737NG (New Gegenaration) sia disponibile. |
ANA
has not changed their mind about retiring their Airbus fleet. |
ANA non ha cambiato
opinione sul fatto di ritirare la propria flotta Airbus. |
A
major factor contributing to the Boeing loyalty is the close manufacturing
partnership between Boeing and several Japanese consortiums, most notably
in the production of the wings of 787. |
Uno dei fattori più
importanti che ha contribuito alla fedeltà a Boeing è stato la stretta
collaborazione tra Boeing e diversi consorzi produttivi giapponesi,
molti dei quali specializzati nella produzione delle ali del 787. |
Besides that, airlines in Japan were being consulted by Boeing in the
design phase of 777. |
Inoltre, nella fase
di progetto del 777, la Boeing ha consultato le compagnie aeree
giapponesi. |
Even
though these manufacturers are distinct from the airlines, the Japanese
government is strongly encouraging aerospace cooperation with Boeing, and
the tightly-knit nature of Japanese keiretsu corporate networks will
ensure that Japan will be an extremely difficult market for Airbus to
profit from. |
Anche se tali
produttori sono distinti dalle compagnie, il governo giapponese sta
incoraggiando fortemente la cooperazione in campo aerospaziale con la
Boeing, e la natura fortemente solidale dei conglomerati aziendali di
tipo keiretsu assicura che il Giappone sarà un mercato estremamente
difficile da sfruttare da parte di Airbus. |
International manufacturing presence |
Produzione:
presenza internazionale |
The
three final assembly lines of Airbus are in Toulouse (France) (two
assembly lines) and Hamburg (Germany) (one assembly line). |
Le tre linee di
assemblaggio finale dell’Airbus si trovano a Tolosa, in Francia (due
linee di assemblaggio) e ad Amburgo, in Germania (una linea
d’assemblaggio). |
A
fourth final assembly line, for the Airbus A400M, is under contruction in
Seville (Spain). |
Una quarta linea
d’assemblaggio finale per l’Airbus A400M, è in fase di realizzazione a
Siviglia (Spagna). |
It is
estimated that this new assembly line will be operational by October 2006. |
Si stima che questo
nuovo stabilimento sarà operativo a partire da ottobre 2006. |
Airbus, however, has a number of other plants in different European
locations, reflecting its foundation as a consortium. |
Airbus, tuttavia,
possiede altri stabilimenti in varie ubicazioni in Europa, il che
riflette le sue origini di consorzio. |
An
original solution to the problem of moving aircraft parts between the
different factories and the assembly plants is the use of "Beluga"
specially enlarged jets, capable of carrying entire sections of fuselage
of Airbus aircraft. |
Una soluzione
originale al problema della movimentazione dei vari componenti tra gli
stabilimenti di produzione e gli stabilimenti di assemblaggio è
rappresentata dall’uso del “Beluga”, un velivolo a getto opportunamente
allargato, capace di trasportare intere sezioni di fusoliera dei
velivolo Airbus. |
This
solution is also being investigated by Boeing, who are considering
producing an enlarged version of their 747 aircraft to transport the
components of the 7E7. |
Questa soluzione è
stata studiata anche dalla Boeing, che prendendo in considerazione la
possibilità di costruire una versione estesa del 747, per il trasporto
dei componenti del nuovo 7E7. |
An
exception to this scheme is the A380, whose fuselage and wings are too
large for sections to be carried by the Beluga. |
Un’eccezione a
questo schema è l’A380 in cui la fusoliera e le ali sono troppo grandi
per essere trasportate dal Beluga. |
Large
A380 parts are brought by ship to Bordeaux, and then transported to the
Toulouse assembly plant by a specially enlarged road. |
Le parti più grandi dell’A380, infatti,
vengono trasportate via nave fino a Bordeaux e poi per mezzo di veicoli
speciali su strada fino a Tolosa. |
North
America is an important region to Airbus in terms of both aircraft sales
and suppliers. |
Il Nord America è
una regione particolarmente importante per l’Airbus, sia in termini di
vendite che di approvvigionamenti. |
2,000
of the total of approximately 5,300 Airbus jetliners sold by Airbus around
the world, representing every aircraft in its product line from the
107-seat A318 to the 565-passenger A380, are ordered by North American
customers. |
Quasi 2000 dei 5300
velivoli venduti dall’Airbus in tutto il mondo, dall’A318 con 107 posti
all’A380 con 565 posti, sono stati ordinati da clienti del Nord America. |
US
contractors supporting an estimated 120,000 jobs earned estimated $5.5
billion (2003) worth of business. |
I costruttori americani, che supportano secondo le stime
120.000 posti di lavoro, hanno incamerato commesse per un controvalore
stimato di 5,5 miliardi di dollari (2003). |
For
example, the A380 has 51% American content in terms of work share value. |
Per esempio, l’A380
costituisce il 51% del volume d’affari in america. |