AirAsia, AirAsiaX named among recipients of bribes by Airbus to secure contracts

(FMT) – Two “executives” at budget airlines AirAsia and AirAsiaX have been mentioned in legal documents listing instances of bribery by Airbus to secure contracts through corrupt middlemen to sell its aircraft worldwide, Britain’s The Telegraph reports.

The documents are part of a multi-billion dollar settlement reached with anti-graft authorities in Britain, France and the US, after the European plane maker admitted to “endemic levels of bribery across its international business”, the paper said today.

It said Airbus had handed over more than 30 million documents to investigators.

In the settlement, Airbus agreed to pay nearly €1 billion (RM4.5 billion) in the UK, €2.1 billion (RM9.5 billion) in France and €530 million (RM2.4 billion) in the US.

Citing documents attached to the settlement, The Telegraph reported that Airbus paid US$50 million (RM204 million) and offered US$55 million (RM225 million) more to sponsor a sports team linked to two unnamed “key decision makers” at AirAsia and AirAsiaX.

“The airlines ordered 180 aircraft from Airbus, with the executives described as being ‘rewarded in respect of the aircraft order’ which the document said was ‘secured by way of improper payments’,” the daily said.

It also cited an angry email from one of the executives to a senior Airbus official.

“You owe me four million already and I’m owed 16 million in total. This should have been paid ages ago when I bought the first 60 aircraft. I want my money,” the paper quoted the email.

Apart from Malaysia, the UK part of the settlement involves bribery allegations in Indonesia, Taiwan, Sri Lanka and Ghana, between 2011 and 2015.

In France, Airbus is accused of paying bribes in 16 countries to land contracts from airlines, including in Russia, China and Taiwan.

FMT is trying to reach AirAsia’s Tony Fernandes for his reaction.