The United States bristled on Friday at an Airbus plan to ask for up to 1 billion euros in European government loans to develop a new plane despite US complaints that the "launch aid" violates world trade rules.
Airbus chief executive Noel Forgeard's "admission that Airbus will seek EUR1 billion (USD$1.25 billion) in launch aid for the A350 confirms the necessity of bringing this issue to a head, with a view to getting Airbus to break its addiction to taxpayer money," said Neena Moorjani, a spokeswoman for the US Trade Representative's office.
"It is time to level the playing field one way or another, preferably through a new agreement, but through WTO (World Trade Organization) litigation if necessary," she added.
The Financial Times quoted Forgeard on Friday saying that Airbus would seek between EUR700 million EUR1 billion to build a proposed plane dubbed the A350.
"We shall obviously apply for refundable launch loans," Forgeard said, but added the project was "entirely financeable by Airbus, if we have no launch aid."
Forgeard's comments follows tit-for-tat cases filed by Washington and Brussels last week challenging each other's support for Airbus and Boeing, the world's number one and two civil aircraft manufacturers
