Airbus to pay $16 million fine, end French corruption probe

PARIS (AP) — French financial prosecutors say a Paris court has approved an agreement with Airbus that will see the planemaker pay a 15.8- million-euro ($16.3 million) fine. The deal will end a corruption investigation focusing on sales to Libya and Kazakhstan more than a decade ago. Prosecutors said Wednesday it’s an extension to a 2020 deal that led Airbus to pay a record fine of 3.6 billion euros to France, the U.S. and Britain. They said Wednesday’s decision focuses on bribery related to the sale of commercial aircraft, helicopters and satellites to Libya and Kazakhstan, mostly between 2006 and 2011. Airbus said it covers “past matters relating to the use of intermediaries in sales campaigns” before 2012.