Airbus parent makes long-term vow to Vietnam

EADS Chief Executive Louis Gallois says his company will have a long-term partnership with Vietnam Photo courtesy of Lao dong newspaper

The parent company of aircraft-maker Airbus has promised a long-term partnership with Vietnam.

The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) has already formed relationships with Vietnam’s flag carrier Vietnam Airlines and the national government.

EADS Chief Executive Louis Gallois said the partnership, which included training, would continue into the future.

“I am not the only one who is attracted by the Vietnamese market”, Gallois said in an interview with Lao Dong (Labor) newspaper during his first ever visit to Vietnam in early June.

The world has closely watched Vietnam’s development over the last 20 years, he said, and the Southeast Asian country would remain one of EADS priorities.

“Vietnam Airlines is an important partner to Airbus,” said Gallois. “In 10 years time, the carrier will have 150 Airbus aircrafts. Airbus is helping Vietnam to train the engine maintenance engineers.”

Discussing the possibility of Vietnam becoming an Airbus supplier, Gallois said setting up an aircraft parts industry took a long time, with many steps required to meet international standards.

Gallois also said the global economic crisis had had a minimal impact so far on EADS and Airbus.

In 2009, Airbus is set to deliver the same number of new airplanes to customers that it did last year. However, things may become more challenging in the next year, he said.

“We invest for the next 20 years. We surely have to face hardship from the global economic crisis but we have a further vision,” Gallois said. “The economy will recover.”

In 2005, EADS signed a 19.3 million euro (US$27.1 million) contract with the Vietnamese government to supply a satellite-based environmental and natural resources monitoring system.

“We had a discussion with Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology about the provision of a new satellite”, he said. “The contract will include training engineers but it has not been signed yet.”

EADS, based in the Netherlands, is Europe’s largest aerospace company. It builds civil and military aircraft, communications systems, missiles, space rockets, satellites and related systems.

Source:

Lao Dong newspaper