Airbus considers scrapping sale of small-parts business

Airbus on Wednesday softened plans to sell off the production of mass-produced small parts and said it would consider a union-backed proposal to keep the activity in-house.

Airbus last month cancelled plans to sell two larger aerostructures subsidiaries, and announced a new proposal to hive off the production of small mass-produced parts into a new company with a view to selling that instead.

But after meeting unions on Wednesday, the European planemaker said it would "analyse a scenario in which this separated scope would remain stand-alone within Airbus" while adding it preferred its original option.