Created in 2000 under the name EADS (European Aeronautic Defence and Space), Airbus brought together most French, German and Spanish aeronautical companies to form a world-class corporation capable of competing with its North American counterpart Boeing. It is traditionally led by a French and German shared executive leadership.

It is therefore the European champion par excellence, ultra-dominant in its sector of activity and very influential on both EU institutions and national governments. It provides a model that political leaders have subsequently tried to replicate (with little success) through the desire to create “Airbus for energy”, transport or batteries. The disproportionate political influence of Airbus has unfortunately been used to hold back European governments’ action on climate change.

In addition to civil aeronautics, Airbus is a major player in the arms industry (helicopters and combat aircraft) as well as in the space industry (rockets and satellites).

Present on highly contested markets and at the heart of Euro-American commercial battles, Airbus has been involved in recent years in a major corruption scandal which it managed to settle by paying a fine of several billion euros.