Eads sounds military plane caution note

Eads, the delay-prone owner of Airbus, today warned that pressures are building up in the programme to build the A400M military transport plane.

The group, which has had a torrid time on new programmes including the over-budget twoyear delay on the 500-seater double-decker A380 and the scrapping of designs for the new A350, said it remains cautious about the A400M as it goes into flight-testing and talks with customers and suppliers.

Eads said first-half underlying profits were €1.16 billion (£915 million), and it expects to make €1.8 billion for the year.