The Hindu Business Line : Senior Airbus official quits

THE Vice-President (Sales) of Airbus Industrie, Mr Nigel Harwood, has quit. He was involved with sale of aircraft in India. In a statement, Airbus said that the decision of Mr Harwood to "seek other challenges was his own."

During his tenure with Airbus in India, while the aircraft manufacturer lost its bid to supply 50 aircraft to Air India (AI), it was successful in wooing several start-up airlines including IndiGo and Go.

The former created a stir in the market with its decision to order 100 Airbus aircraft.

However, it was the loss of the AI deal that created a controversy of sorts.

A day after the AI board decided to go with Boeing on April 26 this year, Mr Harwood went public and called for sending all the papers connected with the acquisition deal to the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC).

"We are questioning how the evaluation was done. We feel it was not fair and are astonished at the decision. It is a massive blow to us. We hope to have a meeting with AI and will try and call its board members. We trust that the Government will look at the entire process in a dispassionate manner," he had said.

The AI board had approved a proposal to purchase 50 Boeing aircraft, including 27 Boeing 787 aircraft, in a deal valued at more than $6 billion.

However, more recently, the aircraft manufacturer sought to play down the issues that had been raised when AI decided to acquire Boeing aircraft.

"What has happened has happened. We are now focusing on the future," a senior Airbus official said, when asked for his response to the AI deal.

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