With 2014 Successes Airbus Reduces Planned Space Business Layoffs

摘要

Airbus Defence and Space on Jan. 20 said its space division's success in 2014 will allow the company to spare about 600 jobs that had been scheduled to disappear as part of a drive for savings in the search for higher operating margins. The company also said it had received "lots of interest" from prospective buyers of its Vizada mobile satellite communications services division, whose nonmili-tary activities have been put up for sale. Airbus said its planned partnership with the European Space Agency to develop a business to speed data from Earth observation satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles to users via laser optical links is stalled because its government partners have not signed a commitment to purchase the data as anchor customers. Airbus Defence and Space was created in July 2014 from three Airbus divisions focusing on space technology, military aircraft and defense electronics.