They actually calculated that it cost them

After the enthusiasm of the first flight of the A400M, December 11 at Seville, the return to Earth is rude to the military transport aircraft. Because this first flight failed to exit the trade negotiations between EADS and its customers from the impasse in which they find themselves for several weeks, learned from concordant sources. The issue The sharing of the 5 billion euros of additional costs of the program. On the one hand, the Aviation Group refuses to pay more than 2.4 billion already past provisions. The other six European States and the Turkey hiding behind the audit of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) which concluded that the industry can take over all of the additional costs. "Everything is blocked." "That negotiation, there must be two", confirms a close source from the folder.

Two weeks of the end of the moratorium, the situation is so tense that at Airbus, it threatens again the abandonment of the program. "After nine months, not the slightest progress, indicates in the entourage of the direction." We have explained clearly that we were able to do and at what price. States have all the elements in hand. If they don't want the A400M, they say! "Frustration is such that the closure of the accounts approach and that the manufacturer - and its parent company EADS - want to stop fiscal year 2009 costs. "We are investing each month more than 100 million euros in the A400M", recalls the industrial, which criticizes the absence of a common position of the customers. "It took them five days to write the last response to our proposals: a very diplomatic letter, but that does nothing in response."But more worrying from the point of view of Airbus is to see the best lawyer in the A400M, the Minister of defence Hervé Morin, to align the radical position of his German colleague. Some come in at the time hoped action by Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel...

Not sure that this could lead. Because, in the face, it is a different story tells. Thus, contrary to what suggested Domingo Urena, the pattern of Airbus Military ("Les Echos" from December 11), EADS, who has already spent heavy provisions, consistent not refusing to pay a portion of the 5 billion of additional costs.

Too much policy

"We are not there to fund all the problems Airbus", was strangled one of client countries, barely veiled allusion to the recurrent problems of the A380 and the A350. Hervé Morin would have folded under the German yoke "On the contrary, our position is unanimous: there is a contract, stick!".And the findings of the audit of PwC did that strengthen the consensus. With respect to threats of abandonment of the program, it is just if you smiled not. "It's time they play the blackmail card employment." They actually calculated that it cost them ...

Conclusion of client States, which are secured the support of the Elysée and the German Chancellery: EADS is policy. And its leaders will soon understand that "it is to where to leave" is not acceptable. Occar - the Pan-European body which manages the-a therefore contract in writing requested the group to justify its position, and expected it to do a step to untangle the bras-de-fer. This will take another few weeks.