Planemaker, French PM Deny Rumors CEO Is On way Out

Could recently hired Airbus CEO Christian Streiff already be heading for the door? On Friday, Airbus flatly denied rumors that Streiff -- who has only been on the job since July -- is looking to leave the beleaguered planemaker.

"Airbus categorically denies all this speculation," the spokesman told Agence France-Presse.

That follows a story in the French magazine Challenges, which stated Streiff (right) had already submitted his resignation to Thomas Enders and Louis Gallois, the co-CEOs of Airbus parent company EADS, to become head of French automaker Citroen.

The International Herald Tribune reports Streiff is poised to resign due to disagreements with the EADS board over his proposed restructuring plan for Airbus. Streiff's plan is said to include sweeping changes at Airbus -- including plant closings and what IHT termed "significant" job cuts.

A source close to the situation added the plan calls for all work on the oft-delayed Airbus A380 to be shifted to Airbus's Toulouse headquarters -- with Germany's Hamburg plant handling the less-prestigious (but highly profitable) A320 narrowbody line.

Over the weekend, a second affirmation of Streiff's job security came from French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin.

"I have no indication at all of that, he is doing a formidable job and there is no reason for Christian Streiff's resignation," Villepin said during a televised interview, according to Reuters.

As Aero-News reported, Streiff was brought in to lead Airbus following the resignations of former CEO Gustav Humbert, and EADS co-CEO Noel Forgeard, in July. Both men became embroiled in scandal following the June announcement of a second delay in deliveries of the superjumbo jet.

Airbus has since announced yet another delay with the A380... this one adding 10 more months to the delay announced in June.

FMI: www.airbus.com