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Airbus

The origins of Airbus go back over four decades, when a consortium was created to manage the development and marketing of the Europe’s first widebodied twinjet, the 250-seat A300B. Airbus Industrie was created as a Groupement d’Interet Economique in December 1970 (a 50:50 joint venture between Aerospatiale and Deutsche Airbus, then part of MBB). Spain’s CASA joined the Toulouse-based consortium in 1971, followed by the UK’s British Aerospace (now BAE Systems) in 1979. The French and German partners each held 37.9%, CASA 4.2% and BAe 20%. In parallel with the creation of EADS, in 2001 the consortium was restructured into the Airbus Integrated Company, with EADS holding 80% and BAE the remainder. At about the same time the original four partners’ Airbus arms became wholly owned Airbus divisions designated Airbus Deutschland, Airbus Espana, Airbus France and Airbus UK. In October 2006 BAE sold its stake to EADS for £1.9 billion ($3.55 billion) leaving the latter as the single owner.