Shares in European aircraft maker Airbus tumbled more than nine percent Thursday after French daily Le Monde reported it could face record fines of several billion dollars in a US corruption inquiry. The newspaper said the US Department of Justice had opened a probe for “improper practices” at the end of 2017 and informed Airbus it was under investigation at the end of the summer. The inquiry stems from Airbus’s disclosure in early 2016 that it had neglected to inform authorities about payments to middlemen in securing several contracts, in particular in Asia.
