Airbus pulls out of fighter-jet competition following complaints

OTTAWA — European aerospace giant Airbus is pulling out of the high-stakes competition to build Canada’s next fighter jet.

Airbus was one of four companies that had been expected to bid on the $19-billion contract to build 88 new fighter jets that will replace the Royal Canadian Air Force’s aging CF-18s.

But the company told the government today that it will not enter its Eurofighter Typhoon plane in the competition.

Airbus had previously complained about a change the government made to the process that benefits rival Lockheed Martin’s F-35, loosening a long-standing requirement that companies promise to re-invest in Canada.