Airbus to settle French bribery case linked to Libya, Kazakhstan

Airbus SE said it reached an agreement with French prosecutors to settle probes into corruption allegations linked to Libya and Kazakhstan.

The deal represents “a limited extension” to a €3.6 billion ($3.75 billion) settlement with French, British and American authorities reached in 2020, Airbus said Thursday, adding that all issues couldn’t be dealt with simultaneously at that time for procedural reasons.

The Parquet National Financier prosecutors office confirmed to Bloomberg that an accord was reached with Airbus on Nov. 17 concerning acts of bribery of foreign public officials relating to sales campaigns in Libya and Kazakhstan between 2006 and 2011.

The deal still needs to be reviewed -- and possibly approved -- by a French judge during a court hearing on Nov. 30. It would typically include a fine but no admission of guilt. No value was specified by Airbus or the PNF.

The planemaker said the latest settlement “will have no adverse impact” on the earlier agreements with France, the UK and US.