Airbus to sell off subsidiaries

These are the areas in which the Division will further invest to strengthen its leading position. Some business areas are identified as divestment candidates as they do not fit the strategic goals and for which the company sees possibilities to increase their development potential in different set-ups. This concerns, first of all, Airbus' commercial and para-public communication business (including Professional Mobile Radio and commercial satellite communications services activities). Airbus Defence and Space further intends to sell some of its subsidiaries and participations, including Fairchild Controls, Rostock System-Technik, AvDef, ESG and Atlas Elektronik. For the Division’s Security and Defence Electronics businesses further industrial alternatives will be explored to see how to best develop and position these businesses for future growth and value creation, the company explains in a press release. "The portfolio decisions for Airbus Defence and Space are the logical follow-up to our Group Strategy Review in 2013. They will foster the strengths of the division and, hence, will result in an even stronger focus on our Group's core activities, aeronautics and space," said Tom Enders, CEO of Airbus Group. “Given the tight budgetary situation in our home countries and increasing competition on global markets, the portfolio review is an essential element to further develop our defence and space business and to ensure its competitiveness”, said Bernhard Gerwert, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space. “We have identified those segments where this is an achievable target and those where we should explore alternative options. In short, the portfolio review is a logical next step in the overall transformation process. It will strengthen Airbus Defence and Space’s business core, unlocking its full potential to drive the defence and space industry forwards, particularly on critically important international growth markets.”