Airbus Corruption Probe Threatens to Spread to U.S.
- Issue concerns unspecified defense contracts, company says
- Internal study suggests role of agents wasn’t fully disclosed
An Airbus A350-900 aircraft
Photographer: Jasper Juinen/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Airbus SE alerted U.S. authorities to potential regulatory breaches, opening a new flank in the group’s efforts to resolve a series of probes into the use of payments and middlemen to win new business.
Toulouse, France-based Airbus took the step after an internal review revealed “inaccuracies” in applications for defense-export licenses, it said Tuesday. The development adds to existing investigations by U.K., French, German and Austrian officials concerning commercial and military sales.