China wants to buy 200 military Airbus planes. If the nation does buy this many A400M planes, the Airbus could make 36 billion euros. This is a cushy figure that could allow the company to start turning a profit after investing 28 billion euros in the Airbus project.
Still, there is a catch that could affect the deal. The planes come equipped with and rely on many parts manufactured in the United States, and the US is not willing to sell them to non-friendly companies such as China.
Airbus is trying to figure out how to substitute these components for Made In China versions, which is something that it should have anticipated because the company cannot afford to lose this deal if it wants to profit from the Airbus project.