Airbus threatens to sue airlines that bail on deliveries

Airbus (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac) is working with its airline customers to adjust terms of deliveries during the COVID-19 pandemic and is seeking compromises, but is also not averse to suing those that refuse to engage in negotiations, Chief Executive Guillaume Faury told Politico. “We are hoping with many customers, trying to adjust what is tough for them but not killing them, and tough for us but not killing us,” Faury underlined. He said that the current crisis is a time when “you see what the relationship [with the airline] means”. He stressed that while Airbus is sympathetic to the tough financial situation airlines find themselves in, and their lack of need for new aircraft at this time, the manufacturer also has its own commitments to suppliers which it is contractually obliged to keep. In some cases, airlines have sought to avoid even starting negotiations with Airbus. Faury said that some customers “did not want to pick up the call, they didn’t know what to say”. However, when confronted with such a scenario, Airbus would not hesitate to turn to the courts for assistance, Faury underlined.