The German government is ready to grant a 1.1 billion euro (US$1.49 billion) loan to develop the Airbus A350 long-haul passenger aircraft, a senior economics ministry official said on Sunday.
“As far as we are concerned, all pre-conditions have been met and the funds are available,” said Peter Hintze, parliamentary state secretary at the Ministry of Economics and Technology.
His statement implied that the conditions were in line with WTO rules.
Hintze said that “final issues” would have to be solved, notably how to divide up work between France and Germany on another project, the A30X, a potential successor to the A320.
“We want to be sure that [A30X] research and development will be done in Germany,” he said. “We want an agreement quickly. We want to wind up the negotiations in the spring.”
Airbus, a division of the European aerospace giant EADS, intends to launch the A350 as a rival to Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner.
The Airbus A350 XWB (extra-wide body) is described by the company as an eco-friendly passenger aircraft that can seat between 270 and 350 passengers.
Able to run on less fuel than current planes, its development is supported by four partner nations — Britain, France, Germany and Spain.
France has announced support of 1.4 billion euros for the program and Britain about 400 million.
‘HERO OF THE ERA’: President Tsai Ing-wen expressed deep sadness at Lee’s passing, and told the government to assist his family with all their needs Former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) passed away at 7:24pm yesterday at Taipei Veterans General Hospital. He was 97 years old. The hospital stated the cause of death as septic shock and multiple organ failure. Lee had been hospitalized there since February, when he choked on a mouthful of milk at home. He was later diagnosed with pulmonary infiltrates and aspiration pneumonia. The hospital said that Lee had been treated with antibiotics, but that his health had not improved, as his advanced age and diabetes had inhibited his immune system and led to recurring infections. During his hospitalization, Lee underwent daily kidney dialysis, which removed
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RECEIVING TREATMENT: President Tsai Ing-wen, Vice President William Lai and Premier Su Tseng-chang visited former president Lee Teng-hui yesterday morning Taipei Veterans General Hospital yesterday rebutted speculation that former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) had died a day earlier, saying that he was weak, but receiving treatment. The hospital said the 97-year-old Lee was not in good condition and needed ongoing care, adding that if there are any changes in his condition, it would make those public. The comments came after rumors emerged online on Tuesday that Lee had died after being hospitalized since early February. Soon after the unsubstantiated rumors emerged, reporters started flocking to the hospital seeking confirmation. Lee was admitted to Taipei Veterans General Hospital on Feb. 8 after choking while drinking
THAI CASE UPDATE: Twenty-nine close contacts of the worker have been tested with two types of tests, including 18 dorm mates, with 28 negative results so far Five imported cases of COVID-19, four from the Philippines and one from Hong Kong, were reported yesterday, bringing the total confirmed cases in Taiwan to 467, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said yesterday. The four returning from the Philippines were on the same flight, and the local health department has identified 15 people who had direct contact with them — including 10 passengers in the two rows in front or behind them, who have been put under 14-day home isolation, and five crew members, who will practice 14-day self-health management, said Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang
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