The crisis rocking European planemaker Airbus pointed today towards an overhaul of the Franco-German command structure at parent EADS, sources said.
Under the latest plan for dealing with the financial and political wreckage from delays to the planemaker's A380 superjumbo programme, a dual management system at EADS could be axed with two top figures replacing the current "gang of four".
Under the scheme, the German camp would have sole executive power, and the French side would occupy the chairmanship and regain management supervision of Toulouse-based Airbus.
But the idea is an informal one for now and would depend on support from the French government and its industrial partners DaimlerChrysler of Germany and France's Lagardere, whose support is far from certain.
If agreed, it could determine the fate of EADS co-chief executive Noel Forgeard. He is fighting to save his career amid criticism of his past share dealings and efforts to explain the factory-floor problems that led to a meltdown in EADS stock.
If Mr Forgeard falls, Airbus's German chief could go too.
Bottlenecks in installing the 500 kilometres of wiring laced through each of the double-decker A380s triggered a profit warning and stripped a quarter off the market value of EADS last week.