FRANKFURT, Dec 10 (Reuters) – The chairman of EADS (EAD.PA: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz)
has ruled himself out as the company’s next chief executive,
removing one element of any future power struggle at the
aerospace group as it prepares for a changeover in 2012.

Bodo Uebber told a German newspaper he was content with his
main job as carmaker Daimler’s (DAIGn.DE: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) finance director, in
response to speculation that he may be interested in succeeding
EADS chief executive Louis Gallois in 2012.

FRANKFURT (Reuters) – The European Commission is to ban Afghan aircraft from European airspace, the chief executive of Afghanistan’s second-biggest airline told Reuters on Monday.

“I fully understand the European Commission’s decision,” said Safi Airways Chief Executive Werner Borchert, adding the carrier was in talks to buy a European airline to circumvent the ban and keep flying passengers between Kabul and Frankfurt.

FRANKFURT (Reuters) – The European Commission is to ban Afghan aircraft from European airspace, the chief executive of Afghanistan’s second-biggest airline told Reuters on Monday.

“I fully understand the European Commission’s decision,” said Safi Airways Chief Executive Werner Borchert, adding the carrier was in talks to buy a European airline to circumvent the ban and keep flying passengers between Kabul and Frankfurt.

LONDON/FRANKFURT (Reuters) – A European regulator flagged possible problems three months ago with the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine that powered a Qantas Airways A380 forced to make an emergency landing in Singapore this week.

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) told airlines in an August 4 directive to conduct additional checks on the Trent 900 after it found “wear, beyond engine manual limits” on certain parts, an EASA spokesman said.

FRANKFURT (Reuters) – America’s transport watchdog vowed on Tuesday not to slow global trade by piling security measures onto the aviation industry in response to terror threats as air lobby group IATA warned against rash action.

“Security cannot bring business to a standstill,” said John Pistole, who was made head of the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) earlier this year, at an aviation security conference on Tuesday.

FRANKFURT (Reuters) – International airlines body IATA warned against rash moves to improve aviation security after two U.S.-bound bombs sent were intercepted in air cargo.

“We have seen many cases where (solutions) have unintended consequences,” Giovanni Bisignani, Director General of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), said at an aviation security conference on Tuesday.

FRANKFURT, Oct 28 (Reuters) – Deutsche Lufthansa AG
(LHAG.DE: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) expects business to remain strong into 2011 after
demand for international premium class travel and cargo services
improved in the third quarter, the airline said on Thursday.

“Average yields went up significantly in all long-haul
regions and load factors improved at the same time,” Chief
Financial Officer Stephan Gemkow said.

By Maria Sheahan

FRANKFURT (Reuters Life!) – Criminals sitting out long-term sentences were given a rare opportunity to break down the figurative walls between prison life and freedom by joining local students in staging an opera near Frankfurt.

All five shows in the production of Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” took place inside prisons in the region, but the organizers hope to take the show out to the public next year.

FRANKFURT/DUBAI, Oct 13 (Reuters) – Leading airlines have
called on Europe and the United States to cap export credits on
the sale of passenger jets at 20 percent in the latest ripple of
a growing spat over multi-billion-dollar subsidies.

U.S. and European airlines say their Gulf rivals get
subsidies and export credits that allow them to grow at a
breakneck pace and take market share.

FRANKFURT, Sept 28 (Reuters) – German solar cell maker
Q-Cells (QCEG.DE: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) unveiled long-awaited measures to raise
capital and raised its 2010 sales outlook for the second time in
two months as demand remained robust in the third quarter.

The crisis-ridden company, which has lost more than half of
its market value this year, said on Tuesday it would sell up to
58.7 million new shares and issue a bond to raise money for the
repurchase of an existing convertible bond.