I’m off to tidy up this week’s holiday week issue of PlaneBusiness Banter, but just couldn’t resist dropping in to convey the news from Airbus this morning.

In a nutshell, Airbus chief executive, Tom Enders  told Airbus employees in Germany yesterday that the sinking dollar is “life threatening” to the European aircraft manufacturer.

“The dollar’s rapid decline is life-threatening for Airbus,” he said in Hamburg. “The dollar exchange rate has gone beyond the pain barrier.”

As the Financial Post pointed out today in a story on the comments, “For every 10¢ the dollar falls against the euro, Airbus loses a billion euros in unfavorable foreign exchange. The euro now sits at US$1.48 against the dollar, up from US$1.35 at the beginning of the year. While the majority of Airbus’s expenses are in euros, aircraft are sold in U.S. dollars.”

Now while I am not sure that the drop in the value of the dollar is the biggest problem Airbus is looking at, there’s no question that its impact is not insignificant.

Having said that,  I think there might be an answer to this problem hidden in my previous story this week about the drama queen in Alabama. Follow me on this one. I mean, if BMW can manufacture automobiles in Alabama, why can’t Airbus make airplanes there?

I can see it now. “Proudly Manufactured in Tuscaloosa” on the side of an A320. Tuscaloosa, Toulouse….what the hey.

I would just make sure they didn’t hire St. Nick to do PR for them. That would mean his face would be on the front and back of every aircraft brochure. Just as it was this year on the University of Alabama’s football media guide.

Technorati Tags: Airbus, airplanes, Nick Saban, declining dollar