EADS, the parent company of Airbus, denied Friday that it had agreed to accept a resignation letter from the European planemaker's new chief executive, Christian Streiff.
Neither Airbus nor its Franco-German parent would comment on media reports that Streiff had offered to resign, however.
A person close to Airbus, speaking on condition of anonymity, earlier told The Associated Press that EADS co-CEOs Tom Enders and Louis Gallois had agreed to accept a resignation letter from Streiff. The person had asked not to be identified because the discussions were confidential.
But EADS spokesman Christian Poppe said no such agreement had been reached.
"We deny that the chief executives have accepted any resignation from Christian Streiff," Poppe said. "They haven't agreed anything."
Poppe would not say whether a resignation letter had been received from Streiff or discussed between the two CEOs.
Airbus also denied that Streiff is to quit the company, but declined to comment on a report in German magazine WirtschaftsWoche that he had offered his resignation in a letter to Gallois.
"We deny categorically that Mr. Streiff is to leave Airbus," spokeswoman Ann de Crozals said.
The German weekly and French magazine Challenges both reported that Streiff has been approached by the Peugeot family to take over from PSA Peugeot-Citroen Chief Executive Jean-Martin Folz. The French carmaker announced last month that Folz will step down early next year.
A Streiff departure would deal a fresh blow to Airbus and its parent company as they struggle to limit the damage from a costly two-year delay to the flagship A380 superjumbo jet.
The 52-year-old former Saint-Gobain executive took over as Airbus CEO only three months ago, replacing Gustav Humbert - who was ousted along with EADS co-CEO Noel Forgeard as a result of the A380 production crisis.
European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. owns 80 percent of Airbus and has agreed to buy the remaining 20 percent from Britain's BAE Systems PLC.
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