(Calgary Herald, Montreal, 24 February 2012) Boeing got a boost last week in its competition against Bombardier and others for a major aircraft order expected this year from United Continental Airlines. The US it appears has placed its financial might at the disposal of Boeing to favour its homegrown aircraft-maker for that and possibly other orders from U.S. carriers… An export credit agency funding a domestic airline to buy from a domestic manufacturer may be unusual, but it’s not unheard of. In fact, EDC financed one such transaction when Porter Airlines acquired Q400 turboprops from Bombardier… This violates a home-market agreement reached by the US, Europe and Brazil, which Canada refused to sign. Under the standstill agreement, which is not a law or treaty, the three participants agreed that their domestic credit agencies would not fund their domestic airlines’ aircraft purchases.
