Nicolas Sarkozy has offered an injection of public funds to Airbus in one of his first initiatives since becoming French President on Wednesday.

Yesterday Mr Sarkozy underlined his determination to end the crisis at the aircraft maker by flying to the company’s headquarters in Toulouse, southwest France, at noon before holding the first meeting of his Cabinet in the afternoon.

He also made clear his intentions to shake up Airbus's parent EADS, the Franco-German aerospace and defence giant. However, his approach may inflame tensions between Paris and main German shareholder, carmaker DaimlerChrysler, which is wary of Gallic dirigis-me.It could also exacerbate the row between Brussels and Washington over aircraft subsidies.

His initiative came against a backdrop of financial difficulties after Airbus’s failure to deliver its superjumbo A380 on time and feuding between its German and French executives and shareholders.

Speaking at a meeting with unions in the Airbus canteen, the French President said that he was prepared to put more state money into the manufacturer as part of a share issue.

Mr Sarkozy appears to see his rescue in 2003 of the French engineering group Al-stom as a model. As Finance Minister he oversaw a €900 million bailout, with the State taking a stake that was subsequently sold at a profit.

“We are ready to put money into Airbus,’’ he said. “Our goal will be to sell again once things have returned to normal.” The French State has a 15 per cent stake in the group.

Mr Sarkozy is also keen to encourage investors – preferably French ones – to buy into EADS, which needs €10 billion (£6.8 billion) to develop the wide-bodied Airbus A350 XWB.

Belying his reputation as a liberal, he seems convinced he can pull the strings that will result in an influx of private funds into the European group.

For this, he is relying on the bonds that tie French business and politics. However, he said that EADS shareholders needed first to modify the pact giving control of the group to the French publisher, Lagardère, which has a 7.5 per cent stake, and DaimlerChrysler, which holds 22.5 per cent.

“How can you expect to bring new shareholders into a pact when they will have the right to pay but not to speak?” he said.

But Mr Sarkozy believes Lagardère’s chairman, Arnaud Lagardère, will bow to his wishes, and that the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, can sway Dieter Zetsche, DaimlerChrysler’s chairman.

Mr Sarkozy and Mrs Merkel discussed EADS at a meeting on Wesdnesday – the day the French President took office.

He said: “I found the German Chancellor to be someone who understands perfectly the need to act quickly. I am convinced we are going to find a solution.”

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