There is truth in what Valjean says although I disagree with his reasoning. I don’t see how Airbus could have been more wrong on this plane unless they put the wings on backward. It is two years behind schedule, they grossly overestimated the market, They did not anticipate fuel cost increases, or exchange rate changes. And worst of all are the opportunity costs of not designing the type of plane that Boeing is now building — the 787. The A380 may not be another Concord, but it is not another 747.
Another point is that France is busy bargaining away its stability and future in persuit of sales. Notice where the sales are coming from: ME, Russia and China. And what is France giving in exchange? NATO technology, EU jobs, and leverage over it’s foreign policy.
