West Germany approved subsidies for Airbus.

The subsidies for Airbus Industrie of nearly 5 billion West German marks, or about $2.72 billion, clear the way for manufacture of a new generation of planes by the European aircraft consortium. British and French funds already pledged to Airbus for the new airline projects have angered the United States, which contends that they are unfair subsidies. Spain, the fourth Airbus member, was not asked to contribute. Airbus has 128 orders and options for the new aircraft, the long-range A-340 and the medium-range A-330.