Airbus began as a European collaboration on a commercial airliner, not as the fully integrated multinational group it is today. The A300 programme took shape in the late 1960s; Airbus says the company was formally launched on 18 December 1970; and the first A300B1 flew on 28 October 1972. Those are three different milestones in the story.
How European cooperation began
In the late 1960s, aerospace manufacturers from France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Spain worked together on the A300 programme. Airbus traces its predecessor companies to those four countries, making the aircraft project the foundation of the later enterprise. The collaboration aimed to create a European commercial aircraft manufacturer capable of developing and building a large airliner across national and industrial boundaries. Airbus’s history account describes these origins.
The programme’s roots should not be confused with the company’s formal launch. Airbus dates that launch to 18 December 1970, after the A300 cooperation was already under way. Its 1970s history records the distinction.
The A300 turns a plan into an aircraft
On 28 October 1972, the A300B1 made its first flight in Toulouse. It was Airbus’s first aircraft. Airbus describes the A300 as the first twin-engine wide-body airliner, a configuration that became central to the programme’s identity. The first flight marked a practical turning point: the multinational effort had produced a flying commercial aircraft, not just a shared industrial plan. Airbus’s account of the decade provides the date and its description of the aircraft.
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From aircraft venture to integrated group
A later corporate combination expanded the industrial structure around Airbus. On 10 July 2000, French aerospace company Aerospatiale-Matra, Germany’s DaimlerChrysler Aerospace (DASA) and Spain’s CASA combined to create EADS. This 2000 integration is distinct from the earlier launch of the Airbus commercial-aircraft venture: it brought major national aerospace companies together into a broader group. Airbus says the corporate entity was later called Airbus Group, with the name shortened to Airbus in 2017. Airbus’s history of the 2000s recounts the combination.
How Airbus expanded beyond commercial aircraft
Airbus’s present-day group includes more than the commercial-aircraft business. The company traces its helicopter activity to a 1992 merger of the French and German parent companies’ helicopter divisions. Military-aircraft, space and defence activities were assembled in stages, then brought together as Airbus Defence and Space in 2014. The group’s three reported segments are Airbus (including Commercial Aircraft), Airbus Helicopters, and Airbus Defence and Space. Airbus’s account of the 2010s covers the Defence and Space combination; its annual reports describe the reporting segments.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Airbus at a glance: FY2025
In its 2025 Annual Review, Airbus reported revenue of €73,420 million for FY2025 and 165,294 employees at year end. These are company-reported figures for that financial year, not timeless measures of the group’s size. In its FY2025 results release, CEO Guillaume Faury called the year “a landmark year, characterised by very strong demand for our products and services across all businesses, a record financial performance, and strategic milestones.” That is management’s assessment of the year. Airbus’s annual reports and results releases publish the figures and statement.
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Airbus history timeline
- Late 1960s: European manufacturers from France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Spain cooperate on the A300 programme.
- 18 December 1970: Airbus says the company is formally launched.
- 28 October 1972: The A300B1 makes its first flight in Toulouse.
- 1992: French and German parent-company helicopter divisions merge, establishing the roots of Airbus Helicopters.
- 10 July 2000: Aerospatiale-Matra, DASA and CASA combine to create EADS.
- 2014: Defence and space activities are combined as Airbus Defence and Space.
- 2017: Airbus Group shortens its corporate name to Airbus.
- FY2025: Airbus reports €73,420 million in revenue and 165,294 employees at year end.
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