France’s financial-crimes investigator has begun a preliminary probe into alleged wrongdoing at Airbus Group SE, the company said Thursday, amid widening accusations facing the European plane maker over potential corruption. Airbus said the French Parquet National Financier was investigating the same alleged missteps already under scrutiny since last year by Britain’s top corruption watchdog, the Serious Fraud Office. Both are examining potential corruption in Airbus commercial plane deals overseas and the possible misuse of middlemen to secure contracts. Airbus said it would “cooperate fully with both authorities.”
