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Airbus in fraud probe

Air
Gary Noakes
8 August 2016

Airbus has confirmed that the UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has opened a criminal investigation over allegations of fraud, bribery and corruption at the manufacturer’s commercial airliner business.

Airbus A350

The Wall Street Journal said allegations involved third-party consultants and stretch back to an initial probe in April, when the SFO said it was seeking information from the aircraft manufacturer over how it used overseas agents and how this was disclosed to regulators.

Airbus faces a ban from UK export credit financing while the investigation is ongoing, while France and Germany have also put a hold on credit. Airbus has key assembly plants in all countries and produces aircraft wings near Chester.