The EADS board of directors has chosen Tom Enders to assume the role of CEO when Louis Gallois steps down at the end of his mandate on May 31. Now the CEO of Airbus, Enders will take over EADS for a new five-year term under the company’s bylaws.

Current Airbus COO Fabrice Brégier will succeed Enders as CEO of Airbus, and Günter Butschek, presently head of operations of Airbus, will replace Bregier. At the same time, Arnaud Lagardère will assume the role of chairman of the board, now held by Bodo Uebber.

Other changes include the appointment of Harald Wilhelm as CFO of EADS, alongside his present role as CFO of Airbus, following the decision by Hans Peter Ring to retire from the company and “pursue other objectives.” Ring has agreed to prepare his successor for the transition as a senior advisor until the end of this year.

The changes come as the succession process under the governance of EADS takes effect following the company’s annual general meeting, scheduled for May 31.

Until 2007, EADS for years employed co-CEOs, one from France and one from Germany.

Since then, the company has operated with a single CEO, whose nationality now alternates. Gallois joined EADS in July 2006 after Noel Forgeard resigned amid allegations of insider trading. He replaced Christian Streiff as CEO of Airbus in October 2006 and assumed the chief executive’s position at EADS in July 2007, when the company changed its corporate governance rules and Enders took over as Airbus CEO.

Cessna Aircraft and Bell Helicopter parent company Textron yesterday reported a loss of $19 million in the fourth quarter, versus a $60 million profit in the same period in 2010, despite increased revenues and profits at the two aerospace units. Though Cessna delivered 12 fewer Citations in the quarter compared with the previous year–67 versus 79–revenue climbed by $51 million, to $1.011 billion, thanks to a higher sales volume of pre-owned jets, piston singles and Caravan turboprop singles.

In addition, quarterly profits at the Wichita-based company increased by $37 million, to $60 million. In total, Cessna delivered 183 jets last year, four more than it shipped in 2010. Textron CEO Scott Donnelly said he expects jet deliveries to “be up moderately” at Cessna this year. The aircraft manufacturer’s backlog, however, fell to $1.9 billion at year-end, down $275 million from the close of the third quarter.

Meanwhile, revenues at Bell rose to $1.01 billion in the fourth quarter, up $35 million from the same period in 2010. The company’s profit increased by $29 million to $167 million, and its backlog surged by $981 million to $7.3 billion in the fourth quarter. “Looking to 2012, based on our current commercial backlog and customer activity under way,” Donnelly said, “we expect a significant increase in commercial deliveries from the 125 [civil helicopters] delivered in 2011.”

The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) is calling on its members to oppose legislation submitted last week by South Carolina state Sen. Phil Leventis (D) that would block the imposition of FBO ramp fees on pilots who use a facility but do not purchase any services.

According to the wording of the bill, FBO operators “at an airport located in South Carolina may not charge a fee, including a ramp fee, to aircraft that do not use their services and are parked at the airport less than a full day if any local, state or federal funds have been used to fund or improve the airport.”

Michael France, NATA’s director of regulatory affairs, described the motion as “nonsense” and countered that Leventis–whose extensive aviation background includes part ownership in a GA repair station and a stint as a county airport commissioner–is attempting to equate FBOs with public accommodations. “What he has forgotten is that most FBOs are private businesses, built with an investment of private capital,” France noted. FBOs are charged rent by the airports while providing services beyond fuel sales, such as aircraft parking, restrooms and passenger and crew lounges, he said.