PARIS (Reuters) - Airbus is cutting 2,043 jobs in its Defence & Space division, compared with its earlier estimate of up to 2,500 job reductions, two people familiar with the matter said.

More than half the cuts - affecting 1,128 jobs - will fall in the Space Systems business, they added, asking not to be named.

An Airbus spokesperson declined to comment on the figures, which were provided to unions in a briefing earlier on Wednesday.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher. Editing by Jane Merriman)