It remains for me 50 commands to find he says

For Airbus, the year 2008 should result, however, by a total of commands higher expectations (850 last forecast). However, 2009 looks much darker. Airbus commercial Director John Leahy recognizes it himself. After four years of record, "commands should substantially be reduced next year", he said Sunday, on the margins of the opening of China's Tianjin plant.

According to some observers, commands could fall back to their level of before the escalation of 2005 is approximately 300 to 400 units per year.

In the eyes of John Leahy, this decrease in already noticeable pace since August is the end natural and foreseeable exceptional Bull cycle, rather than the result of the financial crisis, which would not, so far, significant impact on the orders of Airbus. The aircraft manufacturer has indeed saved, so far, no wave of cancellations and appears confident for the medium term. "Funding for the already recorded commands appears assured for 2009 and even 2010," said John Leahy.

Reduced financial exposure

The risk to the aircraft manufacturer to increase its financial exposure, to offset the loss of credit to its customers, it would be, according to him, limited. "Our financial exposure is at its lowest historic level", he said. 6 Billion in 1998, the amount of credit risk borne by Airbus was back in a little more than 1 billion in June 2008. "While others, we do not have to finance the controls of the companies and have to wait twenty years years before be paid", provides, while reiterating his goal of crossing the Cape of 500 A350 orders before the end of the year. "It remains for me 50 commands to find, he says." "I will be very disappointed if we did not succeed", he said.

The reassuring discourse of John Leahy contrasts however with concerns about the financial crisis. Randy Tinseth, Boeing aviation industry marketing director, has thus recognised the need for the manufacturer to help some customers. "In view of the situation, it will be in our interest to finance a part of our equipment from the second half of 2009", said last week.

The greatest concern for Boeing to Airbus remains the uncertainties weighing on the future of CFLI. About to be sold to pay the debts of its parent company AIG, number a world of the hire of aircraft, the head of a fleet of nearly 1,000 devices, could indeed be found himself short of money for new orders, or even for upcoming deliveries. Its CEO, Steve Udvar-Hazy, obtained U.S. Government two years to develop a plan of recovery with financial partners.

But in addition to the price of purchase, estimated between 5 and 10 billion dollars, prospective buyers will endorse for 17 to 25 billion of commitments, corresponding to 155 orders for Airbus and Boeing aircraft. And, then the airline went into a downward cycle. What discourage more than one. Unless, as wants to believe Thomas Enders, CEO of Airbus, they prefer in the future "investment in tangible assets such as planes, rather than in financial products sometimes very abstract.