Airbus announces restructuring plan in order to bring the group closer together
French aerospace giant Airbus Group has announced a corporate shake-up that will see divisions merged, brands simplified and bureaucracy removed.
The group’s plane and engine divisions will be brought under one umbrella with Fabrice Bregier taking on the role of chief operating officer of the new company to be called simply “Airbus”.
"We are bringing Team Airbus closer together, recognising that our commercial aircraft division is by far the largest contributor to our company's revenues and financials," said chief executive Tom Enders.
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In 2013, the Airbus sought to reduce the influence of the French and German governments and adopted its best-known jet-making brand a year later by renaming itself Airbus Group, but it left in place an overlapping structure and divisional confusion.
Enders has promised to bring new digital thinking into production, development and support to speed decision-making and prepare for future competition across the group's products which range from aircraft to satellites and defence systems.
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Guillaume Faury and Dirk Hoke – the heads of the helicopters and defence and space divisions respectively – have been asked to step up to undertake group-wide roles to help drive through Enders' so-called "digital transformation" project.
Enders told staff in a letter last week the changes would result in consolidation and cost-reductions at the top of the company.