Will hesitate to go in a Boeing: French FM

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire waded into treacherous diplomatic territory by declaring he'd hesitate to fly on a Boeing aircraft because he values his life.

"I now prefer flying in Airbus over Boeing - my family too, they care about me," Le Maire said at the Europe 2024 conference in Berlin on Tuesday, addressing Airbus SE chief executive officer Guillaume Faury, who was in the audience.

Le Maire made the off-the-cuff comment as he lamented what's holding back Europe, saying the region has become a "gigantic machine that produces norms." He singled out Airbus as a positive contrast, congratulating Faury.