Airbus to Create 1,000 Jobs in Germany

Faced with an increase in orders, Airbus plans to create 1,000 new jobs in Germany this year. The firm will continue to add jobs in 2006 as well, Horst Niehus, head of Airbus Deutschland's works council, told Financial Times Deutschland daily. Around 20,000 people work in Airbus' seven Germany factories, half of whom are employed in Hamburg. All told, around 53,000 people work for Airbus in Europe. A spokesman at the firm's headquarters in Toulouse, France, said the tendency in Europe was towards further growth. This year Airbus expects to build and deliver at least 360 planes. By 2007, the company plans to have completed and delivered 450 planes.