Airbus urges West not to boycott Russian titanium

April 12 (Reuters) - Airbus urged the West on Tuesday not to block imports of titanium from Russia, saying sanctions would damage Western manufacturing while barely harming Russia's economy.

Widening sanctions imposed after Russia's invasion of Ukraine to titanium, used widely in aerospace, would not be appropriate, Chief Executive Gullaume Faury told shareholders.

Airbus is nonetheless accelerating a search for alternative non-Russian supplies in the long term, while its needs are covered by stockpiles in the short and medium term, he added. (Reporting by Tim Hepher; editing by David Evans)