Airbus overtakes Boeing

Airbus SAS, the world's largest plane maker, posted a sixfold increase in first-half aircraft orders, allowing the company to pull ahead of Boeing Co. in new contracts for the first time in a year. The plane maker won 680 firm purchase agreements in the six months through June, Toulouse, France-based Airbus said Monday in a statement. That compares with 117 orders a year earlier. The orders gap with Boeing has narrowed since a year ago, when Airbus' figures were one-quarter of its Chicago-based rival's. Airbus orders in the five months through May totaled 210 planes compared with 417 for Boeing, which reports 544 net new firm orders for 2007 as of July 3 on its Web site. EADS looks to streamline management

Shareholders of Airbus' troubled parent company EADS are close to a deal that would end a cumbersome dual management structure, an official said Monday. German Thomas Enders may soon be named the sole chief executive of European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co. NV, while a Frenchman, possibly Arnaud Lagardere, will become sole chairman, according to German and French officials who asked that they not be identified. The unusual management structure of EADS, which is run jointly by French and German executives, was one reason cited for troubles at Airbus in a report released by the French Senate last month.

- From wire reports

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