End of story. For several weeks, negotiations between the seven countries A400M customers and executives of EADS, parent company of Airbus, have punctuated the news. At yet another meeting, in Berlin, a "tentative agreement" was reached, provided the giant European aerospace in a statement.
Customers (Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain and Turkey) will pay 3.5 billion euros extra. What survival program, which accumulates nearly four years late and reaped 5.2 billion euros of additional costs.
Specifically, they shall have two billion more on the initial price of the contract and provide $ 1.5 billion in exchange for a share of future exports, according to EADS.The original contract must be amended in the "coming weeks".
In addition, it was agreed to accelerate payment of PDP between 2010 and 2014, but no timetable has yet been arrested.
The time for congratulations
EADS considers that this agreement provides a basis "healthy" for a successful evolution of the A400 program M.
The French Minister of Defense Herv? Morin was commended for his share "of the finalization of the negotiations. "This agreement completes the implementation of decisions taken by ministers at the meeting organized at the initiative of France in Le Castellet July 24, 2009, during which the nations have decided to continue this program emblematic of Europe defense, "he said.
In January, EADS said it planned to simply abandon the program, saying while threatening the sustainability of the group.
The Minister then assured that France would "do anything to save" the project. A few days before, the multipurpose aircraft designed to replace the Transall C-160, for example, 45.1 meters long and 14.7 meters high, can Tranporter troops and equipment, had made its third flight.
Profit warning
This agreement is obviously good news. But EADS will pay the piper in recent months. The group was informed on Friday that it will record an operating profit (EBIT) and net earnings were negative in 2009.In case the provision of 1.8 billion euros for the additional costs of A400 million, he announced today in a statement.
"The final figures will be disclosed during the announcement of full results of fiscal 2009 EADS March 9, 2010.
CM-CIC, which was released yesterday, Thursday, a "preview" (a score prediction results), banking on a net income of 60 million euros, while the Bloomberg consensus provided 21 million euros. But these figures do not include the provision because it was not known.
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