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Airbus versus Boeing Revisited: International Competition in the Aircraft Market

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  • Irwin, Douglas
  • Pavcnik, Nina

Abstract

This Paper examines international competition in the commercial aircraft industry. We estimate a discrete choice, differentiated products demand system for wide-body aircraft and examine the Airbus-Boeing rivalry under various assumptions on firm conduct. We then use this structure to evaluate two trade disputes between the United States and European Union. Our results suggest that aircraft prices increased by about 3.7% after the 1992 US – EU agreement on trade in civil aircraft that limits subsidies. This price hike is consistent with a 5% increase in firms’ marginal costs after the subsidy cuts. We also simulate the impact of the future entry of the Airbus A-380 super-jumbo aircraft on the demand for other wide-bodied aircraft, notably the Boeing 747. We find that the A-380 could reduce the market share of the 747 by up to 14.8 percentage points in the long range wide-body market segment (depending upon the discounts offered on the A-380), but would reduce the market for Airbus’s existing wide-bodies by an even greater margin.

Suggested Citation

  • Irwin, Douglas & Pavcnik, Nina, 2003. "Airbus versus Boeing Revisited: International Competition in the Aircraft Market," CEPR Discussion Papers 3876, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:3876
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    aircraft industry; trade policy;

    JEL classification:

    • F12 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Models of Trade with Imperfect Competition and Scale Economies; Fragmentation
    • F13 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade Policy; International Trade Organizations
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets

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