Airbus and Boeing: Strengths and Limitations of Strong States

Airbus, over the past thirty years, has greatly extended its product line and its overall market share to more than parity with Boeing. Francis and Pevzner argue that the fortunes of Airbus cannot be understood without recognizing that historically, the manufacture of large commercial aircraft has been shaped by the industrial policies of strong states. The European consortium that produced airbus was able to work as a strong state, anticipating the deepening economic integration of the European Union.