Mr Hertrich has been a critic of plans to install a single boss at EADS

Last week Rainer Hertrich created a row over the leadership of the Franco-German group, saying French manoeuvring was driven by "personal ambition".

His comments follow rumours that the Paris government wants a single - French - executive at the top of EADS.

On Monday, French finance minister Herve Gaymard acknowledged the management rifts and appealed for calm.

"There is a management problem involving people and I hope that as soon as possible we will solve this situation, which is not good for the company," Gaymard told LCI television.

Title fight

An EADS spokesman in Munich has confirmed that Mr Hertrich would "not extend his contract for a second period".

His replacement as co-head of the company is reportedly to be Thomas Enders, the EADS board member responsible for the firm's defence contracts.

President Chirac is believed to support a change of leadership

Mr Enders is said to have the backing of EADS shareholder DaimlerChrysler, the German car maker.

Mr Hertrich's contract expires in June 2005, along with that of his co-boss Philippe Camus. No announcement has been made on Mr Camus' future.

DaimlerChrysler was reported last week to have vetoed attempts by French President Jacques Chirac to put Airbus chief executive Noel Forgeard in sole charge of EADS, which owns 80% of Airbus.

EADS was formed by bringing together France's Aerospatiale-Matra, Germany's Dasa, part of the former Daimler-Benz and Spain's Casa.

Ambitions

As well as Mr Hertrich's criticisms, the two most senior French managers in EADS - Mr Camus and Mr Forgeard - have been locked in a semi-public tussle for months.

The French finance minister said he had met Wolfgang Clement, Germany's economy minister, last week in Berlin and they had "agreed to inject some calm" into the situation.

Last week Mr Hertrich turned on those wishing to replace him and Mr Camus, accusing them of being motivated by "personal ambition".

"EADS should not be a springboard for personal ambition," he told the Wirtschaftswoche newspaper, ascribing the tussle partly to a battle for publicity between President Chirac and French presidential hopeful Nicolas Sarkozy.

"I cannot comprehend that Noel Forgeard, who accomplishes great things as head of Airbus, has such little regard for the international image of the group," Reuters reported Mr Hertrich as saying at the time.

Thales question

Mr Camus told Reuters in an interview last week that EADS was expected to stick with its Franco-German leadership structure.

And DaimlerChrysler has always said it wants to retain the current leadership structure.

However proposals to put a single executive in charge of EADS have been supported by Mr Forgeard, who has said he would be interested in the position.

The situation is complicated by the fact the French government is believed to be keen on merging EADS with French defence and electronics firm Thales.

However, German executives are said to be concerned that a merged firm would be French dominated.