April 2019 The German Times – Business 13

Ready for takeoff parts ways with and hands the reins to

He has big shoes to fill, and not most in my job was the interna- surprise, the German govern- without which it would have lost alties. The unit used “consultants” BY JENS FLOTTAU just literally. Enders transformed tional nature of the business. It ment blocked the deal for fear a key account at American Air- to help broker commercial aircraft Airbus in many ways. Created as a would be hard to go back and that German jobs could be lost. lines to Airbus. The Max ensured deals. Enders and CFO Harald t had to be those red cowboy European project in 1969, almost work for a purely German com- Enders was furious. “Forgiven, that the two would share the deal. Wilhelm were trying to end the boots. “My favorite shoes, exactly 50 years ago, it is now no pany,” Enders says. but not forgotten,” he says about The global Max fleet is currently practice but found strong inter- Ivery comfortable,” Tom longer strictly a European com- He has seen it all. In the late the episode today. grounded following two crashes. nal resistance in the unit against Enders says, raising his jeans a pany, nor is it a company that 1990s when he was in his late He has reasons to forgive. The It has already lost market share interference from corporate. In bit to show off his footwear. His governments have much control 30s, Enders was responsible for merger failed, but the interven- vis-à-vis Airbus and the intense late 2017, the French media was last meeting with the media in over any more. It is (almost) a strategy as well as mergers and tion by the German government discussion about its safety is not suddenly full of stories about an a Munich hotel, no pressure any normal company and a champion acquisitions at Daimler-Chrysler scared the French government making the recovery any easier. alleged or real power struggle more. Enders is relaxed and in a in global aerospace. Aerospace (Dasa). He helped so much that it was willing to Enders has had his share of inside Airbus. Enders decided that good mood, his aides will con- Airbus has a global footprint orchestrate the merger with give up power in order to keep problems, too. For years, he the only way to end the damaging firm that this has not always that includes final assembly lines Spain’s Casa and France’s Aero- the Germans away from it, too. and his colleagues have tried to public debate was to resign. been the case in past years. in China and Mobile, Alabama. spatiale to form what was then “In 2012, there was a very real score more A380 orders. Enders Now, more than a year later, He just received his first lifetime Last year, Airbus made Canada called EADS. For some years, he risk that EADS would become was around as the program was he seems to be at peace with his achievement award, and of course its fifth “home country” after served as co-CEO of EADS along a French-German government launched in 2000, when European decision. And he is even more he showed up in Washington, France, , Spain and the with Louis Gallois – the idea of joint venture,” Enders recalls. In aerospace executives thought they open to voicing criticism where D.C., wearing a tuxedo and the UK, following the acquisition of a balance of power between the that eventuality, he would have had to build an aircraft to com- he believes it is necessary. Airbus red boots. Enders also just turned the C-Series jet program from French and the Germans was resigned. But miraculously, a new pete with Boeing’s 747. What is looking at making its defense 60, which in combination with struggling Bombardier. still primary. Later, Enders took a corporate governance was agreed they didn’t see was that the 747 products as free as possible from the award is “a good reason to be And another, second step back and became CEO of the on – one that limited the powers was already in decline and the Germany-built components in depressed,” he says. final assembly line commercial aircraft division for of governments and gave Enders smaller 777 was rising. Airbus’ order to be able to export them He either is or isn’t an for the aircraft, now five years, a business with which more freedom to act. own A350, launched in 2007 at in spite of the government’s strict extremely good actor. 2019 called the A220 in he was not very familiar, having He refocused the company the peak of the A380 industrial position on defense exports. marks a break not only in the life Airbus typology, is earned his wings on the defense and gave up trying to strengthen crisis, and Boeing’s 787 are now But Enders is concerned that of the Airbus CEO, but also in under construction side of the equation. He wanted defense. Instead, aggressive eclipsing even the 777; they have common European programs the history of the com- in Mobile. to get to know the unit better – growth in civil aviation was now lower costs per seat than even the such as a new fighter aircraft may pany where he held a “What I by far the group’s most important the target. His decision, still as much larger aircraft, making them not happen with German partici- leadership role enjoyed – before being solely in charge. Airbus Commercial CEO, to redundant. Enders took respon- pation if the German government for almost 20 In 2012, Enders took over fol- launch a re-engined version of the sibility and shut the program is not willing to compromise on years. Enders low ing the retire- A320 narrowbody aircraft turned down two months before his own policies with its partners. retired ment of out to be a huge success. Around departure. These are issues Faury now from his Gallois. 6,500 aircraft were ordered since It was a move that made Guil- must face. Enders has been clear position at And the 2010 launch decision, more laume Faury’s start easier. But that he no longer wants executive the close of than any other civil type in his- Enders has long come to the con- jobs; he has no plans to go into the annual tory. The move ensured Airbus clusion that it is impossible to consulting, but he will take board general assem- could continue to make massive hand over a company in perfect positions. And he has big plans in bly on April 10. Just days only a few months into the job, profits off its short- and medium- condition. “There is always some- aviation – his career as an enthu- after that meeting in the he attempted to take one giant haul aircraft family while limiting thing left to do; there is constant siastic helicopter pilot is now set Munich hotel, he was step further in dealmaking. He investment. change,” he says. to take off. replaced at the helm had quietly negotiated a merger At the same time, the A321neo, Plus, he was initially not quite by Guillaume Faury, 51, with BAE Systems to be able to the largest version, turned out to ready to leave. One of his toughest who has led the com- DPA/REUTERS put EADS on a broader base – be an airline favorite because of fights was against corruption. A Jens Flottau is a business and mercial aircraft divi- combining its strength in civil its long range and low costs. The Paris-based Airbus marketing unit aviation correspondent for the sion as president since aerospace with BAE’s exposure A320neo family forced Boeing was at the heart of a scandal that Süddeutsche Zeitung. early last year. in defense. But much to his to quickly launch the 737 Max, may cost Airbus vast sums in pen-

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