EADS to announce aircraft plans=0AFriday, January 11, 2008 =0ABy GEORGE TAL= BOT=0APolitical Editor =0AThe European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. has= approved plans to shift production of commercial Airbus aircraft to Mobile= , contingent on the company winning a military contract to build aerial ref= ueling tankers for the U.S. Air Force, according to officials familiar with= the project. =0AEADS, the parent company of Airbus, is set to announce Mon= day it will produce a cargo version of its popular A330-200 twin-engine jet= in a new plant at Brookley Field Industrial Complex if its bid for the Air= Force contract is successful. =0AAny move to the U.S. by Airbus, which cur= rently assembles all of its commercial aircraft in Europe, could have a dra= matic and far-reaching impact on the global aerospace industry. Large aircr= aft are currently assembled in only two places in the world -- Toulouse, Fr= ance, where Airbus is based, and the Seattle area, the production home of a= rchrival Boeing Co. =0A Advertisement=0A=0A=0A=0A=0A=0AThe European company= has long sought a foothold in the lucrative North =0AAmerican market. Thos= e efforts have gained urgency with the dollar's decline against the euro, a= development that Airbus officials have characterized as "life threatening"= to the company. =0AEADS' brightest prospect for growth in the U.S. is the = $40 billion Air Force tanker contract. The company is teamed with Northrop = Grumman Corp. in a fierce battle against Boeing, which would build its tank= ers in Everett, Wash. The Air Force is expected to pick a winner by March. = =0ANorthrop and EADS have projected the tanker program will create up to 1,= 500 direct jobs in Mobile, plus about 5,000 more at spin-off businesses sta= tewide. Adding the freighter would boost direct employment by at least 200 = to 300 workers, according to local officials who were briefed on the compan= y's plans. =0AState and local governments lured the Northrop-EADS project w= ith $120 million in tax breaks and other incentives. Officials said that pa= ckage was not expected to change. =0AEADS and Airbus have scheduled a news = conference Monday at the Airbus engineering center in Mobile, where the com= pany employs about 100 aircraft designers currently assigned to the A350 co= mmercial jet. =0AThe event is scheduled to include top company officials in= cluding Tom Enders, president and chief executive of Airbus, and Ralph Cros= by, chairman and chief executive of EADS North America, as well as Gov. Bob= Riley and U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Mobile, among other state and local e= lected officials. =0ACONTINUED 1 | 2 Next =0A=0A=0A=0A=A9 2008 Press-Reg= ister. All rights reserved.=0AThis material may not be published, broadcast= , rewritten or redistributed.=0A=0A=0A=0A SHARE THIS STORY =0AReddit =0ADig= g =0Adel.icio.us =0AGoogle =0AYahoo =0AFacebook =0A=95 How Does It Work?=0A= SITE TOOLS =0AE-mail This =0APrint This =0ANewsletters =0ASPONSORED LINKS = =0A=95 =95 Wave goodbye to dry land! =95 =95 Get 1 =95 =95 Small Classes. P= ersonal Attention. Jeff State. Click for info. =95 =95 Degrees for Working = Professionals <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> If you wish to unsubscribe from the AIRLINE List, please send an E-mail to: "listserv@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx". Within the body of the text, only write the following:"SIGNOFF AIRLINE".