Airbus pledges to build more planes

The increase, from 36 planes a month now and a previously planned level of 40, will take place from the fourth quarter of 2012, the EADS unit. EADS last week said it was considering increasing production to meet economic growth and it was reported Airbus had adopted a new level of 42 A320-family jets a month.

The planned output increase consolidates Airbus’s position as the world’s largest planemaker ahead of rival Boeing.

Meanwhile, the World Trade Organisation appellate body has handed the United States a “definitive victory” in its long-running case against European subsidies for Airbus, US officials said.

The panel found Airbus had received £11bn in WTO-inconsistent subsidies that “have caused harm to our industry”, Tim Reif, general counsel for the US Trade Representative’s office said.