Pursuits
Airbus Guns for Boeing With New Factory in Its Home Market
- European planemaker plants flag in Boeing backyard in Alabama
- Proximity to biggest airlines and low labor costs lured Airbus
Airbus Lays Plans to Beat Boeing in U.S.
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Airbus Chief Executive Officer Fabrice Bregier is laying plans to draw level with Boeing Co. in the U.S., its rival’s home turf and the world’s largest aerospace market, starting with a new factory in Alabama.
It’s an aggressive move, considering that the European planemaker only controls about 20 percent of the U.S. market. That share will reach 40 percent once carriers including American Airlines take delivery of the company’s planes on order. Bregier’s team has set its sights on grabbing half of a U.S. market that has traditionally favored the home player, even as the two manufacturers share the global market 50/50.