INTERNATIONAL

Partner Problems Threaten Airbus Jet: Financial problems among the three main partners in the European Airbus Industrie consortium are jeopardizing the development of a new airliner, the consortium’s managing director, Jean Pierson, acknowledged. Although Airbus tripled its operating profit to a record $300 million last year, Aerospatiale of France is facing a cash squeeze, and Germany’s Deutsche Aerospace and British Aerospace are restructuring. The problems threaten the development of the 120-seat A319 narrow-body airliner.