EADS - Strengere sertifiseringskrav

Enders Sees New Aircraft Certification Issues After 787 crisis

NEW YORK - EADS CEO Tom Enders believes certification of new aircraft programs likely will become more difficult following the recent troubles surrounding the Boeing 787 program. "Certification authorities are probably a bit nervous now, [and] the 787 will not [make] certification any easier," Enders told reporters in New York.

Enders was in New York for a roadshow with analysts following last week's announcement of EADS results for 2012. He says that because of the positive results achieved last year, those meetings have been "rather easy."

EADS subsidiary Airbus recently decided to switch from lithium-ion batteries to more proven nickel-cadmium units for the Airbus A350 . Enders says he is "quite happy that we are two years behind the 787" in the development of the next Airbus long-haul aircraft because Airbus can learn from Boeing 's experience in some regards, including the batteries . Enders points out that "the industry needs to be careful to get the risk/reward balance right" when launching new programs. He concedes that Airbus, too, "got carried away with too much innovation that was not mature." When still Airbus CEO, Enders was the driving force behind the decision not to develop a new Airbus narrowbody, but rather re-engine the A320 family.

According to Enders, the A350 likely will fly for the first time "in July or August." When asked whether an appearance at the June Paris Air Show is possible, he stated that "sometimes miracles happen." Industry sources have said that Airbus internally is targeting a mid-May date for first flight, although the company has not confirmed this information.