Airbus name change a plus

ATLANTA -- Airbus Group's name change is enhancing how the European weapons and plane maker is perceived. That's according to Allan McArtor, chairman and chief executive of Airbus Group Inc., the U.S. unit of the European company. The company formerly known as EADS announced the rebranding last summer to highlight the name of its commercial plane unit, Airbus. "Already, it's made an impact, particularly on Capitol Hill," McArtor said in an interview at the AIAA Aviation and Aeronautics Forum in Atlanta. McArtor said Airbus is still looking to expand its share of the U.S. defense market by selling its helicopters, explosive detection technologies and other products. He said the new A320 final assembly line being built in Mobile, Ala., will produce four planes a month by 2017, but can ramp up to eight a month if needed. Citing feedback from Delta and JetBlue, McArtor said airlines love the idea of taking delivery of planes in Mobile. (Source: Reuters, 06/17/14)