Frequent Fliers take note ...
Airbus Makes Pitch for Possible U.S. Plant



Now I know this is not really related to any gadgets or technology, but it is major news. Airbus is the major European aircraft manufacturer and the fact that they are entertaining the idea of opening up a U.S. plant might be a sign of things to come. Boeing is the major U.S. aircraft maker, but in light of recents sales of planes (and lackluster interest in its new Dreamliner model) this could be a major shakeout. While airlines continue to lose money hand over foot, the airplane manufacturers are doing a little bit better. Airbus' much hyped and absolutely huge A380 (slated to hold 500 passengers) is in direct contrast to Boeing's plan to make smaller, more technology laden planes.

A U.S. plant could add much needed jobs to areas hard hit by outsourcing and movement of manufacturing jobs overseas, but also leads to issues of compeition by foreign firms with a major U.S. employer and interests of many politicans. Who knows how this is going to play out...but the backlash is starting already from interests concerned with this move. I personally think its going to be like the 1980's all over again, when the U.S. car industry was forced to compete with Japanese imports that eventuall led to the Japanese companies building the majority of their cars in the U.S. Not a bad deal.

[Yahoo! News] Has more information for those interested in such facts.