Reiterates That As Many As 2,000 Airbus-Related Jobs Are At Stake

In a speech to an industry meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, Airbus CEO Tom Enders has reiterated his call for the EU to freeze its Emissions Trading System (ETS), saying it could cost as many as 2,000 jobs.

China has already suspended Airbus orders estimated between $12 and $14 billion. Enders' remarks echoed a letter he and other European aviation companies had sent to EU leaders earlier this month urging them to drop the carbon tax. He said that as many as 1,000 Airbus jobs and 1,000 supply chain jobs could be lost if the company continued to lose orders over the plan.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Enders said the ETS would "cause nothing but strife," and asked that it be delayed for one or two years. He again warned of a looming trade war over the ETS.

Boeing, meanwhile, is apparently siding with its arch-rival in the fight. Boeing Commercial Airplane CEO Jim Albaugh told Reuters at the meeting that he doesn't think the ETS is the right approach for Europe in reducing carbon emissions. He said international rules spearheaded by the ICAO would be far preferable than Europe's unilateral carbon tax.

Albaugh said that Boeing had not directly benefited from the current issues between China and Airbus, but that the company does expect to sell a lot of its airplanes in that country.

FMI: www.airbus.com, www.boeing.com