Product Code Database
Airbus SE ( ; ; ; ) is a Europe aerospace corporation. While the company's primary business encompasses the design and manufacture of commercial aircraft, it also owns and operates separate divisions for defence and space, and helicopters. Airbus has long been the world's leading helicopter manufacturer and, in 2019, also emerged as the world's biggest manufacturer of airliners.
The company was incorporated as the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company ( EADS) in the year 2000 through the merger of the French Aérospatiale-Matra, the German DASA, and the Spanish EADS CASA. The new entity subsequently acquired full ownership of its subsidiary, Airbus Industrie GIE, a joint venture of European aerospace companies originally incorporated in 1970 to develop and produce a wide-body aircraft to compete with American-built airliners. EADS Rebranding itself as Airbus SE in 2015. Reflecting its multinational origin, the company operates offices and assembly plants in France, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom, along with more recent additions in Canada, Malaysia, the United States, Morocco, and India.
Airbus' headquarters are legally registered in Leiden, Netherlands, but daily management is conducted from the company's main office located in Blagnac, France. The SE in its corporate name stands for Societas Europaea. KVK Dutch Chamber of Commerce Currently, the company is led by CEO Guillaume Faury and is part of the EURO STOXX 50 stock market index. Since its inception in 2000, the company's shares have been listed on the Paris Stock Exchange, the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, and the four regional Spanish stock exchanges (including the Bolsa de Madrid). Investors | Share Price & Information. The Drive. 8 November 2023.
The logos of Airbus Industrie GIE and Airbus SAS displayed a stylised turbine symbol, redolent of a jet engine, and a font similar to Helvetica Black. The logo colours were reflected in the standard Airbus aircraft livery in each period. The EADS logo, from 2000 to 2010, combined the logos of the merged companies, DASA (a four-ray star) and Aérospatiale-Matra (a curved arrow), after which these elements were removed and a new font with 3D shading was chosen. This font was retained in the logos of Airbus Group NV (2014–2015) and Airbus Group SE (2015–2017), then Airbus SE:
They then went on to make the Airbus A310, a smaller wide-body aircraft after Airbus identified a demand for an aircraft smaller than the Airbus A300, the first twin-jet wide-body. It was manufactured from 1981 to 1998.
Building on its success with the A300, Airbus worked to develop a narrow-body aircraft along with additional wide-body aircraft based on the A300.
The narrow-body efforts led to the launch of the A320 in 1987, which was and continues to be a major commercial success. The A320 was the first commercial jet to use a digital fly-by-wire control system. All Airbus aircraft developed since then have cockpit systems similar to the A320, making it easier to train crew. The success led Airbus to introduce a lengthened version, the A321 in 1993, along with the shorter A319 in 1995 and the even shorter A318 in 2002. In 2016, Airbus re-engineered the narrow-body family, in a programme called the A320neo ( new engine option).
The wide-body programme led to the introduction of the four-engine A340 in 1991 and the twinjet A330 in 1992. At that time, Airbus wanted to offer four-engined jet aircraft to allow for longer transatlantic and transpacific flights. However, during the aircraft's development, new rules extended twinjet operations to 120 minutes in 1986 and 180 minutes in 1989. Although the new rules hurt sales of the A340, they greatly benefited the A330. Production of the A340 ended in 2011, while the A330 would be re-engineered as the A330neo ( new engine option) in 2018.
In 2005, Airbus introduced the world's largest passenger airliner, the A380 is a four-engine aircraft with two full-length passenger seating decks. Intended to challenge the dominance of the Boeing 747 in the long-haul market, the A380 was ultimately a money-losing venture for Airbus due to large development costs and limited sales arising from high operating costs, and production ended in December 2021.
The A350, a wide-body, twinjet aircraft, was introduced in 2013. The A350 was the first Airbus aircraft that was largely produced from carbon-fiber-reinforced polymers. It is longer and wider than the fuselage used on the A300, A310, A330, and A340.
A second narrow-body jet was added to the product list in 2018 when Airbus gained control of the Bombardier CSeries programme, and rebranded it as the A220. The jet offers five-abreast seating compared to the six-abreast seating on the A320.
In December 2024, it was reported that the total aircraft delivery in the year for Airbus has reached 643 units, with 84 planes delivered in November 2024 alone. Subsequently, in January 2025, it was reported that Airbus had successfully delivered 766 aircraft to its customers out of 878 orders in the entire 2024, marking a 4% increase from the previous year. In October 2025, the A320 overtook the Boeing 737 as the most delivered airliner.
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| A220 | 2 engines, narrow-body | 100–150 | 16 September 2013 (as the Bombardier CSeries) | 941 | 435 | 506 | 435 | |
| A300 | 2 engines, wide-body | 228–254 | 28 October 1972 | 12 July 2007Kaminski-Morrow, David. "Airbus delivers last A300." Flight International, 12 July 2007. | 561 | 561 | — | 209 |
| A310 | 2 engines, wide-body | 190-230 | 3 April 1982 | 15 June 1998 | 255 | 255 | — | 48 |
| A320 | 2 engines, narrow-body | 107–185 | 22 February 1987 | 19,285 | 12,151 | 7,134 | 11,188 | |
| A330 | 2 engines, wide-body | 246–300 | 2 November 1992 | 1,930 | 1,639 | 291 | 1,471 | |
| A340 | 4 engines, wide-body | 210–370 | 25 October 1991 | 16 July 2010 | 377 | 377 | — | 187 |
| A350 | 2 engines, wide-body | 300–410 | 14 June 2013 | 1,428 | 669 | 759 | 668 | |
| A380 | 4 engines, wide-body, double deck | 555–853 | 27 April 2005 | 16 December 2021 | 251 | 251 | — | 215 |
| Data as of 31 July 2025. | ||||||||
The company is also a 50% owner of the ATR joint venture, which builds the ATR 42 and ATR 72 regional aircraft.
The company is also a 10% owner of Dassault Aviation, which builds the Dassault Falcon of smaller business jets.
The A310 and A330-based MRTT aircraft are conversions of civilian airliners. The aircraft are called multi-role tanker transports because, in addition to their aerial refuelling capability, the aircraft can also be configured for troop transport, medevac, and cargo transportation.
The A400M Atlas is a four-engine, turboprop-powered tactical transport aircraft. The A400M is sized between the American-made C-130 and the C-17 transports, and while it can carry heavier loads than the C-130, its turboprop engines allow it to retain the ability to use rough landing strips. The A400M was developed for European NATO members Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Turkey, and the UK, as an alternative to relying on foreign aircraft. During development, the A400M programme faced delays and cost overruns; with customer nations stepping in to offer additional subsidies. The first aircraft was delivered to the French Air Force in 2013, and by 2023, more than 100 aircraft had been built.
The Defence and Space division also markets and assembles the EADS CASA C295, a smaller tactical transport aircraft, that was designed and initially manufactured by the Spain aerospace company CASA.
The company is also a 50% owner of the ArianeGroup joint venture which builds the Ariane 5 space launch vehicle, a 46% owner of the Eurofighter GmbH joint venture which builds the Typhoon fighter jet, a 42.5% owner of the Panavia Aircraft joint venture which built the Panavia Tornado fighter jet, a 37.5% owner of the MBDA joint venture which builds missiles, and a 10% owner of Dassault Aviation which builds the Dassault Rafale fighter jet, and previously, the Mirage 2000 fighter.
The division's civilian products include the single-engine H125 and H130, the light twin-engine H135 and H145, the medium twin-engine H155 and H160, the super medium twin-engine H175, and the heavy twin-engine H215 and H225.
Military products include the Eurocopter Tiger attack helicopter, along with militarised versions of the H125, H135, H145, H160, H175, H215, and H225.
The company is also a 62.5% owner of the NHIndustries joint venture, which builds the NH90 military utility helicopter.
| 2016 | 49.2 | 1.5 | 1,010 | 6,874 | 731 | 688 | 73,852 |
| 2017 | 43.4 | 2.2 | 950 | 7,265 | 1,109 | 718 | 74,542 |
| 2018 | 47.9 | 4.2 | 411 | 7,577 | 747 | 800 | 80,924 |
| 2019 | 54.7 | 1.7 | 424 | 7,482 | 768 | 863 | 80,985 |
| 2020 | 34.2 | −1.3 | 324 | 7,184 | 268 | 566 | 78,487 |
| 2021 | 36.1 | 4.1 | 345 | 7,082 | 507 | 611 | 73,560 |
| 2022 | 41.4 | 4.8 | 390 | 7,239 | 820 | 661 | 79,134 |
| 2023 | 47.7 | 3.6 | 490 | 8,598 | 2,094 | 735 | 90,032 |
| 2024 | 50.6 | 4.2 | 629 | 8,658 | 826 | 766 |
The Airbus Military division, which manufactured tanker, transport, and mission aircraft; Airbus Helicopters, the world's largest helicopter supplier; Astrium, provided systems for aerial, land, naval, and civilian security applications, including Ariane, Galileo, and Cassidian. Through Cassidian, EADS was a partner in the Eurofighter consortium as well as in the MBDA missile systems manufacturer.
| manufacturer of the Airbus A220 family of airliners | ||
| manufacturer of the Ariane 5 and Ariane 6 space launch vehicles | ||
| manufacturer of the ATR 42 and ATR 72 regional aircraft | ||
| manufacturer of the Dassault Rafale fighter jet and Falcon business jets | ||
| manufacturer of the Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet | ||
| manufacturer of missile systems | ||
| NHIndustries | manufacturer of the NH90 military utility helicopter | |
| manufacturer of the Panavia Tornado fighter jet |
Airbus, however, has a number of other plants in different European locations, reflecting its foundation as a consortium.
For aircraft assembled in Europe, aircraft parts often move between the different factories and the assembly lines via the use of the Airbus Beluga and Airbus BelugaXL, a fleet modified aircraft capable of carrying entire sections of fuselage. For aircraft assembled in China and the United States, the parts needed to build an aircraft meet in a single European location where they are loaded onto ships for the final journey to the assembly line.
Airbus opened an assembly plant for the A320 family of aircraft in Tianjin, China in 2009. Airbus started constructing a $350 million component manufacturing plant in Harbin, China in July 2009. It was fully operational by early 2011, the 30,000 square metre plant manufactures composite parts and assembles composite work-packages for the A350 XWB, A320 families and future Airbus programmes. Harbin Aircraft Industry Group Corporation, Hafei Aviation Industry Company Ltd, AviChina Industry & Technology and other Chinese partners hold an 80% stake in the plant while Airbus controls the remaining 20%. In 2022, the Tianjin plant finished upgrading works to allow for production of A321. In 2023, the Tianjin final assembly plant started construction to be expanded with a second production line.
North America plays a crucial role for Airbus, both in terms of aircraft sales and suppliers. Of the approximately 5,300 Airbus jetliners sold worldwide, 2,000 are ordered by North American customers. These orders span Airbus' entire product line, from the compact A318 to the massive A380, accommodating 107 to 565 passengers. Notably, US contractors contribute significantly, supporting around 120,000 jobs and generating an estimated $5.5 billion in business. For instance, one variant of the A380 boasts 51% American content in terms of work share value.
Plans for a Mobile, Alabama aircraft assembly plant were unveiled by Airbus CEO Fabrice Brégier from the Mobile Convention Centre on 2 July 2012. The plans include a $600 million factory at the Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley for the assembly of the A220, A319, A320 and A321 aircraft. It could employ up to 1,000 full-time workers when operational. Construction began on 8 April 2013, and became operable by 2015, producing up to 50 aircraft per year by 2017.
On 16 December 2024, it was reported that Airbus had leased 650,000 sq ft of office space in Bengaluru's Whitefield to build its Global Capacity Centre. The lease is for 10 years and valued at Rs 500 crore, securing the entire building in Titanium Tech Park. In this way, Airbus intends to strengthen its position in India.
On 4 April 2006, DaimlerChrysler announced its intention to reduce its shareholding from 30 % to 22.5 %. The company placed a value on the stake at "approximately €2.0 billion." Lagardère was to reduce its holding by an identical amount. However, Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations, a unit of the French government, acquired 2.25 % of EADS. At issue, as a result, is the fact that the German and French shareholdings were now in imbalance." Airbus plays catch-up with A350 jet." Phillips, D. International Herald Tribune. 11 April 2006.
On 30 August 2006, shortly after the stock price decline caused by the A380 delivery delays, more than 5 % of EADS stock was reportedly purchased by the Russian state-owned VTB Bank," EADS shares up on Vneshtorgbank reports ." Yahoo News. 30 August 2006. bringing its share to nearly 6 %. In December 2007, Vneshtorgbank sold EADS shares to another state-controlled bank, Vnesheconombank. EADS shares were to be delivered by Vneshekonombank to the charter capital of JSC United Aircraft Corporation in 2008.
On 3 October 2006, shortly after EADS admitted further delays in the Airbus 380 programme would cost the company 4.8 billion euros in lost earnings in 2010, EADS shares, traded on the Paris arm of Euronext, were suspended after they surpassed the 10 % loss limit. Trading resumed later in the day with the one-day loss holding at 7 %.
In 2007, Dubai Holding acquired 3.12 % of EADS stock, making the Dubai buy-out fund one of the largest institutional shareholders.John, Isaac. "Dubai Int'l Capital buys 3.12pc stake in EADS" , Khaleej Times, 6 July 2007.
In 2008, EADS had arms sales equivalent to $17.9 billion, which constituted 28 % of total revenue. The SIPRI Top 100 arms-producing companies, 2008 Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, 12 April 2010. Retrieved: 4 May 2010.
In April 2013, Daimler sold its shares in EADS.
, 73.7 % of Airbus Group stock is publicly traded on six European stock exchanges (Euronext Paris in France, the Frankfurt Stock Exchange in Germany, and the four regional stock exchanges Bolsa de Madrid, Borsa de Barcelona, Bolsa de Valencia and Bolsa de Bilbao in Spain). 0.6 % of the shares are treasury shares owned by Airbus, while the remaining 25.7% are owned by a "Contractual Partnership". , the partnership is owned by SOGEPA (10.8%), GZBV (10.8%) and SEPI (4.1%). SOGEPA is owned by the French State, GZBV is majority owned by the German state-owned investment and development bank KfW, and SEPI is a Spanish state holding company.
In April 2020, Airbus announced that it had cut aircraft production by a third due to the COVID-19 outbreak. According to Guillaume Faury, the company was "bleeding cash at an unprecedented speed." The recession put its survival at stake and presented the need for deep job cuts throughout all Airbus departments. 3,000 workers in France were involved in government-assisted furlough schemes.
Airbus was the first aerospace business to become ISO 14001 certified, in January 2007; this is a broader certification covering the whole organisation, not just the aircraft it produces.
On 22 July 2024, at the 2024 Farnborough International Airshow, Airbus and Airports Council International (ACI) World association signed a cooperation agreement to support the industry's efforts to reduce the environmental impact of aviation, including the adoption of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
At the Airbus Summit in March 2025, Airbus delivered updates on its development of the ZEROe hydrogen powered aircraft.
In July 2004, former Boeing CEO Harry Stonecipher accused Airbus of abusing a 1992 bilateral EU-US agreement providing for disciplines for large civil aircraft support from governments. Airbus is given reimbursable launch investment (RLI), called "launch aid" by the US, from European governments, with the money being paid back with interest plus indefinite royalties, but only if the aircraft is a commercial success. Airbus contends that this system is fully compliant with the 1992 agreement and WTO rules. The agreement allows up to 33% of the programme cost to be met through government loans, which are to be fully repaid within 17 years with interest and royalties. These loans are held at a minimum interest rate equal to the cost of government borrowing plus 0.25%, which would be below market rates available to Airbus without government support. Airbus claims that since the signature of the EU-US agreement in 1992, it has repaid European governments more than US$6.7 billion and that this is 40% more than it has received.
Airbus argues that the military contracts awarded to Boeing, the second largest US defence contractor, are in effect a form of subsidy, such as the controversy surrounding the Boeing KC-767 military contracting arrangements. The significant US government support of technology development via NASA also provides significant support to Boeing, as do the large tax breaks offered to Boeing, which some people claim are in violation of the 1992 agreement and WTO rules. In its recent products such as the 787, Boeing has also been offered direct financial support from local and state governments.
In January 2005 the European Union and United States trade representatives, Peter Mandelson and Robert Zoellick respectively, agreed to talks aimed at resolving the increasing tensions. These talks were not successful with the dispute becoming more acrimonious rather than approaching a settlement.
WTO ruled in August 2010 and in May 2011 that Airbus had received improper government subsidies through loans with below market rates from several European countries. In a separate ruling in February 2011, WTO found that Boeing had received local and federal aid in violation of WTO rules.
In response to the report, Airbus stated its collaboration focused exclusively on the civil domain, and that its conduct complied with all laws and regulations. In June 2025, Justice for Myanmar reported that Airbus had completed its divestment from AviChina, AVIC's publicly listed subsidiary, by 1 April 2025.
In July 2016, SFO opened a criminal investigation into "suspicions of fraud, bribes and corruption" after Airbus informed British authorities of a failure to disclose the role played by some intermediaries facilitating the sale of aircraft. Airbus was required to provide this information in order to benefit from export credits, which the British, French and German governments had suspended. In March 2017, the PNF subsequently opened a preliminary investigation into "suspicions of fraud and corruption in civil aviation activities" in cooperation with the SFO.
The allegations included that from 2012 onwards Airbus was responsible for recruiting and remunerating intermediaries to influence the award of civil and military contracts. Payments worth hundreds of millions of euros in alleged secret commissions were made and numerous sales including in Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, Philippines, Indonesia, Austria, China and Mauritius were under suspicion of bribery.
The investigation focused on the Airbus, Strategy and Marketing Organization (SMO), the department responsible for negotiating sales contracts and which, La Tribune reported as having "a network and an incredible influence around the world." Directed successively by Jean-Paul Gut and Marwan Lahoud, the SMO was dissolved in 2016 under the new executive director, Thomas Enders, as part of a "clean hands" operation.
In 2014, in a case referred to as the Kazakhgate affair, a search at Airbus Helicopters by French authorities found emails confirming that Airbus had agreed in principle to pay €12 million in bribes to the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan to facilitate the sale of helicopters. Officers from the Central Anti-Corruption Office (OCLCIFF) then searched the home of Marwan Lahoud on 8 February 2016. This revealed that two Turkish intermediaries had claimed payment of commissions due in connection with the sale of 160 aircraft to China valued at US$10 billion. A message by Lahoud suggested that the commissions could reach US$250 million. The SMO was to conceal these commissions as false invoices for a fictitious Caspian pipeline project.
In January 2020, French, British and American courts validated three agreements between Airbus and the PNF, the UK SFO, and the US DoJ. Airbus recognised the charges and agreed to pay fines of €2.1 billion in France, €984 million in the United Kingdom and €526 million in the United States. The penalties were the highest ever issued by the French and British bodies.
These settlements close the prosecution of Airbus regarding the Kazakhstan case but not allegations of misconduct in Saudi Arabia, China and Turkey, which Airbus denies. Airbus managers may still be pursued as private individuals.
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