The Airbus bribery scandal has reached new heights as emails obtained by reporters reveal that senior executives at the European aerospace giant maintained communication with a middleman during a controversial Kuwait military helicopters deal. This continued engagement occurred even while the company was under international scrutiny for allegedly using intermediaries to bribe clients across multiple countries. The middleman in question, Farid Abdelnour, played a central role in the negotiations for the Kuwait contracts, further highlighting the tangled web of Airbus’ controversial dealings.

In 2016, Airbus secured a lucrative contract with Kuwait’s Ministry of Defense, reportedly worth around €1 billion. The deal involved the delivery of 30 military Caracal helicopters, as well as negotiations for a separate contract for civilian helicopters. The procurement, however, has been marred by accusations of bribery and the use of middlemen, raising serious concerns about corruption.

Emails leaked to reporters from the French media outlet Revue XXI and shared with the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) show that despite Airbus Helicopters’ internal pledge to halt payments to intermediaries in 2015, executives continued discussions with Abdelnour well into 2016. This revelation comes at a time when Airbus was already embroiled in multiple legal probes for bribery in various countries.

Farid Abdelnour, a 65-year-old consultant, emerged as a key figure in the Kuwait helicopter deal. The leaked correspondence suggests that Airbus executives, including current CEO Guillaume Faury, who at the time led the helicopter division,........

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