Airbus profits hit by wing problems

Airbus parent company EADS said its first quarter earnings were hammered by a €158m charge to fix problematic wing parts on its flagship A380 superjumbo.

EADS says the charge to fix the so-called “wing rib feet” – the metal brackets that connect the wing’s ribs to its skin – on all the A380s in service had left first quarter profit at €133m.