Louis Gallois has been threatening to move more Airbus production from high-cost Europe to lower-cost, dollar-linked economies for months. The chief executive of the Franco-German EADS aeronautical group said this week that the threat would have to become a reality.

But Mr Gallois is not the only one feeling the pain of the weak dollar. Charles Edelstenne of Dassault has also disclosed plans by the French aircraft manufacturer to move some production from Europe. The weak dollar has produced other victims in the European aerospace industry. Thales admitted last week that its hopes for a merger with Safran had stalled, largely because of Safran’s exposure to the low dollar.