Airbus Industrie

Airbus Industrie: "As its sales burgeoned, the consortium received subsidies from its governments that totaled $13.5 billion by 1990. These funds made it possible to develop important new aircraft, and to win sales by offering low, low prices. The first step came in 1984, with the new Airbus A-320. This 150-seat airplane aimed at the low end of the market, seeking to serve numerous routes of short distance that carried only modest numbers of passengers. The A-320 competed with the Boeing 737 and the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 series, which served those routes as well. But there was plenty of demand for aircraft of this size, and the A-320 rolled up large numbers of sales."