date of creation
December 18, 1970
number of employees
168,754 (as of June 30, 2026)
History
Airbus was established on December 18, 1970, as Airbus Industrie, a European consortium created to compete with established American aircraft manufacturers. Initially bringing together French and German aerospace companies, the consortium subsequently expanded to include Spanish and British partners.
Its first aircraft, the A300, made its maiden flight in 1972 and entered commercial service in 1974. It became the world’s first twin-engine wide-body airliner, marking an important milestone in commercial aviation.
During the 1980s and 1990s, Airbus expanded its aircraft portfolio with the A310, A320, A330 and A340 families. Introduced in 1988, the A320 pioneered the use of digital fly-by-wire flight controls in mainstream commercial passenger aviation and became one of the manufacturer’s most successful programmes.
In 2000, the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) was established through the merger of major French, German and Spanish aerospace businesses. Airbus subsequently evolved from a consortium into an integrated company, with EADS becoming its sole owner in 2006.
The company launched the A380, the world’s largest passenger aircraft, into commercial service in 2007. In 2015, the A350 XWB entered service, strengthening Airbus’s position in the long-haul aircraft market.
EADS was renamed Airbus Group in 2014, before adopting the name Airbus SE in 2017. The company consolidated its activities around commercial aircraft, helicopters, defence and space systems.
In 2025, Airbus delivered 793 commercial aircraft and generated revenues of €73.4 billion. Its commercial aircraft order backlog reached 8,754 aircraft at the end of the year.
Description
Airbus SE is a European multinational aerospace and defence corporation and one of the world’s leading aircraft manufacturers. The company designs, manufactures and supplies commercial aircraft, helicopters, military transport aircraft, satellites and space systems.
Its operations are organised into three main business segments:
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Airbus Commercial Aircraft: Develops and manufactures passenger and freight aircraft, including the A220, A320, A330 and A350 families.
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Airbus Helicopters: Produces civil and military helicopters and provides maintenance and support services.
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Airbus Defence and Space: Develops military aircraft, space systems, satellites and defence technologies.
Airbus operates an international industrial network, with major manufacturing and engineering facilities in France, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and China.
The company is listed on European stock exchanges under the ticker symbol AIR. In 2025, it recorded €73.4 billion in consolidated revenues and employed more than 165,000 people worldwide.
