A little over 18 months ago the Airbus 380 first popped up on our radar. We were giddy with the possibilities, imagining these massive planes full of luxury and more space than we had ever dreamed possible. However more and more, the double-decker A380 is looking to be nothing but trouble. The concerns have ranged from environmental factors such as the plane's huge wake to delays in production which could make the plane harder to get. The latest wrinkle comes from a Republican lawmaker who is seeking to get Congress to ban U.S. airports from spending federal money on the upgrades necessary in order to make room for the jumbo jet. Rep. John Mica says that until a U.S. airline buys and uses an A380, foreign airlines should pick up the tab. The U.S. government is currently expected to pay for half of the changes in airports in Los Angeles, New York, Miami and San Francisco but Mica feels this is unfair to U.S. taxpayers since Europe gives governmental loans to Airbus.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
jmchez Jun 28th 2006 10:38AM
I agree with the congressman. The European government help to Airbus is so blatant it's amazing. Their claims that Boeing gets help by way of its military contracts are not justifiable. Boeing sells their military products in competition with others (it lost the contract for the F35). So even there it's not getting a handout.
vanbollu Jun 28th 2006 11:24AM
walking pass..
Siva Jun 28th 2006 1:34PM
This doesn't make sense. The airports should be able to decide weather they want to the expansion and improvement to handle A380 traffic. Boeing is also coming up with a stretch 747-8 which has similar wing span and weight. Many airlines want to use A380 for schedule services to US. It is not necessary that if US airlines are not interested in A380, airports and the government should restrict them self and loose the opportunity.
Barry Ressler Jul 6th 2006 11:30PM
The airlines who wish to use the A380 should be the ones to pay for any gate modifications that will be required. The Boeing 747-8 will be able to use any existing gate that is used by current 747s.
BLR