European aerospace concern EADS reported Friday a 41 per cent drop in first-half earnings, despite robust sales, reflecting the adverse currency exchange factors. The company surplus came to 109 million euros (155 million dollars), with the low value of the dollar and pound sterling against the euro hurting the results, EADS, dpa quoted the parent of the European plane group Airbus, as saying. Pre-tax operating earnings (EBIT), by comparison, were 39 per cent higher year on year to 563 million euros. Sales, at 21.9 billion euros, were up 8 per cent on the first half of 2010. EADS said thanks to the strong demand for the new A320 neo passenger plane, new orders for the company surged 89 per cent in the first half to 58.1 billion euros. dpa dms -- SPA
