COMPANIES

Airbus Wins Big Federal Express Jet Contract: Federal Express will order as much as $6 billion in cargo planes from Airbus Industrie, the New York Times quoted officials of the European aircraft maker as saying. The huge order was described as a blow to McDonnell Douglas Corp., which also had bid on the 75 planes. Airbus officials in Paris said Federal Express is placing firm orders for 25 A-300 wide-body planes and is taking out options on 300. The A-300 won in a competition against McDonnell Douglas MD-11 cargo planes, the Airbus officials said. The American market has long been the biggest challenge for Airbus.