Why Is the US Spending $35 Billion on Air Tankers From Europe?
I am willing to bet Boeing screwed up their bid. The rest of the arguments in favor of Airbus fall flat. It is true that the 767 airframe and the PW4000 engine are older designs and near the end of their product life cycle, but that does not mean they will not be supported. There are thousends of these engines and airframes in service and will be for years. Pratt & Whitney will supply engine parts for these engines and Boeing will supply spare parts for the airframes. In fact, P&W still supplies spare parts for engines that were made in the 1970s, and both manufacturers are still suppling spare parts for the KC-135s currently in service. So spare parts is not a problem. As to the relative merits of the two aircraft, I doubt the Airbus is superior. I have spoken with maintenance people at US and foreign airlines, ones I have spoken with all prefer Boeing over Airbus.
All that aside, real problem with this deal is that US citizens will see their tax money go overseas to pay for one of the biggest defense contracts in history. It is madness.
My wife is not even a US citizen, and she is horrified by this deal. Here is hoping congress imposes a little sanity and kills the Airbus taker deal.
