Airbus chief willing to step down if 'no longer part of the solution'

Tom Enders, chief executive of French aeronautical giant Airbus, said on Sunday that he would be willing to step down from the role he had held since 2012 in an effort to safely guide the firm through ongoing corruption investigations.

Enders told German newspaper Handelsblatt that he saw no reason to resign from his post at Airbus, which was the subject of probes in the UK and France into the use of middleman in the sales of its planes, but would do so if he was "no longer part of the solution."

He said, "You can be assured: once I am no longer part of the solution, and I hope I would realise myself when that is, I will draw the consequences [and step down]."

"But for now, I don't think we're at this point," Enders added.

Despite the UK's Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and its French equivalent, the Parquet National Financier, were investigating the allegations of "fraud, bribery and corruption" after Airbus reported the infringements itself in 2016.

Enders said it was "not impossible that the fine will be significant."

Airbus was also under investigation in Austria regarding a €2bn deal inked more than ten years ago for its Eurofighter jet.

As of 1630 BST, Airbus shares were up just 0.02% to €77.07 each.