Airbus cancels 50th anniversary book

The jet maker, which celebrated its golden jubilee in May, had commissioned the tome in 2018 to former New York Times journalist Nicola Clark

An Airbus A350 takes off at the aircraft builder's headquarters near Toulouse, France. Airbus cancelled its 50-year anniversary book citing a shift in "communication content goals". Reuters

Airbus cancelled a book it commissioned for the plane maker' 50th anniversary, which was penned by former New York Times journalist Nicola Clark and due for release this year.

The French company said it "acknowledged the quality of the final manuscript" that was delivered to Airbus and the publisher Urbane Publications on time in January by the author, according to a statement on its website.

"This decision reflects a shift in Airbus’ communication content goals," the manufacturer said.

The European jet maker, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in May, had commissioned the book a year ago. The book, titled Airbus: The first 50 years, was available on Amazon Kindle on May 29 this year, but was quickly pulled from online sales and plans to distribute printed copies at the Paris Airshow in June were cancelled last minute too.

Leeham News and Analysis (LNA), a website covering the aviation industry, published a review of the book after few copies were circulated.

"It was a candid book of the Airbus history that looked at the warts and the accomplishments," LNA said. "It wasn’t the typical puff-piece commissioned book, which made it the best such anniversary book LNA has ever read."

The book traced the creation of Airbus amid challenging odds to become a European rival to Boeing in Chicago.

Reuters first reported in July the plane maker's plan to cancel the book as it contained a chapter on an ongoing bribery and corruption investigation that Airbus feared could hamper its ability to secure a legal settlement.

The chapter discussed allegations surrounding the use of intermediaries in securing orders that are still under investigation.

Airbus did not respond to calls or email when contacted by The National. Ms Clark referred questions to the Airbus press office.

“We continue to co-operate in full with the ongoing investigation,” an Airbus spokesperson said in July. “The investigation and the book are two separate topics”.

LNA said the book provided an "honest, candid accounting of how the company came to be, navigating through country and corporate politics, face offs with rival Boeing, reporting the insider trading allegations and ending with the as-yet unfinished corruption scandal investigations", it said in its review in July.