Airbus parent company EADS NV posted a 47 percent drop in fourth-quarter net profit Wednesday after taking costly charges at its helicopter and defense electronics divisions.

The aerospace giant recorded a $425 million net profit in the October-December period, down from the previous year’s $802.6 million. But for the full year, its net earnings were up 19 percent at $1.6 billion from $1.35 billion in 2011.