European aircraft maker Airbus announced Monday a one-off payment of 1,500 euros for all employees in its four founding nations -- UK, France, Germany, Spain -- as inflation hits.

"The Airbus Executive Committee has decided that an exceptional premium will be paid before the end of 2022 to all Airbus* employees," including senior management, the company said in a message to employees seen by AFP.

Outside of the four main Airbus countries, employees will receive a special premium, "calculated as a percentage of the average local base salary," the planemaker said.

At the end of last year, Airbus employed 126,000 people worldwide, including 46,000 in France and 43,000 in Germany

"The volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity that characterise our current environment have been further reinforced in recent months by the energy crisis and inflation," Airbus said in its message to employees.

"This phenomenon of widespread price rises is placing a heavy and direct financial burden on the economies of many countries and companies. This reality also applies to Airbus employees," it added.