British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have put aside their rivalry for the day. They're trying to convince Britain's Parliament not to sign off on the proposed open skies agreement with the U.S.
British Airways wants to replace its long-haul jets and although the airline currently uses Boeing planes, it'll give struggling Airbus a chance to compete for the contract.
Virgin Atlantic and British Airways have voiced opposition to a tentative open-skies deal between the U.S. and Europe. Seems they don't want to loosen their grip on London's Heathrow Airport.
After weeks of wrangling behind the scenes, the European plane maker is about to announce its cost-cutting program. About 10,000 jobs are likely to go, mostly in France and Germany. Stephen Beard reports.
Jacques Chirac and Angela Merkel are trying to get the Airbus restructuring plan back on the runway. Germany balked at the initial plan which reportedly had it suffering the bulk of job cuts in the jointly-owned company.
President Putin has blocked Russia's state-controlled airline Aeroflot from purchasing 22 Boeing Dreamliners in a move that appears to be more about politics than planes.
American Airlines is adding several flights out of New York, including new non-stop service to and from Las Vegas. That route's a JetBlue staple. Interesting timing, but it probably just feels like American's pouring salt in the wound.
British Airways announced it's buying four new jets from Boeing — not Airbus — with the option to buy four more. John Newhouse, author of a new book on the Boeing-Airbus rivalry talks with Kai Ryssdal.
More bad news for European plane maker Airbus today as British Airways buys Boeing 777s to upgrade its fleet. Problem is, Airbus can't set a new course until it puts an end to infighting that's stalled its cost-cutting plan.
