AlHijjah 23, 1433, Nov 8, 2012, SPA -- European aerospace and defence group EADS on Thursday announced a surge in third-quarter earnings and revenue, propelled by a strong performance at planemaker Airbus, dpa reported. Operating profit rose 67 per cent over the third quarter in 2011, to 537 million euros (687 million dollars). Revenue was up 15 per cent to 12.32 billion euros, driven by brisk demand for commercial aircraft. EADS maintained its forecast of a 10-per-cent increase in revenue and operating profit of over 2.7 billion euros for 2012. Chief executive Tom Enders said the company would put "strong emphasis" on cash generation for the remainder of the year. "Aircraft deliveries are key," he said. The results give Enders a boost after he failed to pull off a mega-merger with British defence contractor BAE Systems last month. The deal, which would have created the world's biggest defence company, was torpedoed by the failure of the German, French and British governments to agree on terms.
