Airbus Fires 16 Employees Over Accusations of Obtaining German Army Docs - Report

German prosecutors in September opened an investigation into suspected internal espionage by Airbus employees over two arms projects, Bild newspaper reported.

The European aviation company Airbus has sacked 16 employees amid a probe in Germany into alleged spying by the company's staffers, according to German media.

The Munich state prosecutor’s office said it was probing 17 Airbus workers and a number of German government officials. The probe relates to the discovery of government documents that may have got into the hands of Airbus employees illegally, the office said.

According to the reports, when German prosecutors started investigating the suspected internal spying on projects involving the German Armed Forces, they found some documents that the employees shouldn't have had. The German media outlets said that among other subjects, the Airbus employees had secret files of the German Army involving the acquisition of a communication system.

Airbus confirmed the firing, but did not provide more details, the news agency DPA reported.

The employees reportedly work in the Munich-based Programme Line Communications, Intelligence and Security (CIS), which manages cybersecurity and related projects.

Airbus reportedly stated that it was conducting an "ongoing internal review with the support of an external law firm" in the case.

"The company is fully cooperating with relevant authorities to resolve the matter", it said then in a statement in September.