PARIS – Airbus plans to shed 1,164 management jobs in a bid to streamline and boost its competitiveness, the aerospace and defense company said today.

"As part of the integration measures and streamlining of the company's organizational setup, Airbus Group envisages a progressive reduction of its current workforce of around 136,000 by a maximum of 1,164 positions," the company said in a statement.

Most of the job cuts will be shared equally between France and Germany, with a few posts to go in Britain and Spain, an Airbus spokesman said. It was too early to say how much the rationalization plan would cost.

The company, seeking to observe a code of social responsibility, will offer voluntary departure and early retirement in a "soft" approach, but could not rule out laying off staff if the targets are not met on a voluntary basis. Communications staff are among those hit by the job cuts.

The restructuring plan, dubbed Gemini, looked to cut costs by €310 million ($328 million), Europe 1 radio reported.

Airbus also said 230 new jobs will be created to support the drive for digital transformation, as part of the work with the chief technology officer, Paul Eremenko.

Some 640 jobs will be shed in France, 429 in Germany, 54 in Britain and 39 in Spain, one in Belgium and also one in India, France 3 television reported. The Suresnes office, just outside the capital, will be closed in 2018 with the loss of 308 jobs.

An agreement is expected to be reached by mid-2017, following negotiations with the national industry works councils, Airbus said. The company gave details today to its European central works council.

The job cuts are also the last part of a restructuring plan adopted four years ago, when Airbus Group chief executive Tom Enders announced a corporate move from Paris and Munich to Toulouse to create a single headquarters with the Airbus airliner division in southwest France.

"With these leaner structures, we will improve performance and teamwork across Airbus," Enders said. "Therefore, the integration will ultimately strengthen Airbus in its ability to ensure future competitiveness and to remain a global leader in the aerospace industry."

Airbus reported 2015 sales of €64.5 billion, net profit of €2.7 billion, and a backlog of 6,700 Airbus airliners. The company has reported €6 billion of financial charges on work on the A400M military airlifter, with the program remaining "challenging." The company has struggled to find orders for the A380 superjumbo.

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