German govt, Airbus at odds on plant sales

Germany on Thursday suggested European plane maker Airbus could alter the bidding process for its German plants, but the company said sales talks were advanced and it saw no reason to do so.
Airbus, a unit of European aerospace group EADS is trying to sell all or part of several plants in Europe after delays to its A380 superjumbo rocked the company last year but the process is taking longer than expected.
The German government's aerospace coordinator Peter Hintze told reporters Germany would prefer a domestic solution for the plants and raised the possibility of changing the terms of the sales.
"You should not rule out the possibility that the company could decide to change the design of the tender," Hintze said, adding there were various possible options to aid potential buyers.
One possibility might be for state development bank KfW [KFW.UL] to provide guarantees for the financing of a purchase, he said.
"I see no reason for any change to the sales process," Enders said, insisting talks on the sales were at an advanced stage.
Airbus, which is also cutting 10,000 jobs as part of an overhaul, had originally aimed to choose buyers for the sites by October. Earlier this week, German industrial group Voith AG withdrew from the bidding.
Hintze said the search for a partner for the German plants could take time. "I suspect, I predict that it will all need some time," he said.
He said it was important to ensure quality and sustainability were the deciding factors in the sales rather than speed.