Airbus bosses in crisis meeting as pressure mounts on French CEO

The four bosses of Airbus parent EADS met for closed-door talks today, days after the European defence group was hit by costly new delays to the A380 superjumbo and questions about stock sales beforehand.

The meeting came amid growing pressure on Noel Forgeard, the company’s French co-chief executive, who made a €2.5m profit exercising stock options in March – weeks before management asked for an internal assessment of the production hitches.