Airbus is a European aerospace manufacturer with activities in commercial aircraft, helicopters, defence and space. The name refers both to a broad aerospace group and, in everyday airline usage, to its passenger aircraft business. Its development grew out of cooperation between European manufacturers rather than a single national aircraft company.[1][2]
Formation
Airbus Industrie was established on 18 December 1970 as an economic interest grouping to provide a legal and organisational framework for the A300 programme. The A300B1 first flew from Toulouse on 28 October 1972. It was the first twin-engine wide-body commercial aircraft, combining a large passenger cabin with two engines at a time when other wide-body designs used three or four.[3]
Expansion beyond airliners
The wider group's history includes industrial cooperation in several different fields. The French and German helicopter businesses combined to create Eurocopter in 1992, subsequently becoming Airbus Helicopters. Military aircraft, defence and space activities also developed through earlier partnerships and corporate consolidation. Airbus Defence and Space was formed in 2014. These histories explain why Airbus includes rotorcraft and military systems as well as the passenger jets most commonly associated with its name.[1]
Passenger aircraft families
The passenger range includes the single-aisle A220 and A320 families and the wide-body A330 and A350 families. The A380 remains part of the supported fleet although its production has ended. The suffix “neo” means “new engine option” and identifies updated versions of the A320 and A330 families. A320neo-family aircraft use CFM International LEAP or Pratt & Whitney PW1000G engines, while the A330neo uses the Rolls-Royce Trent 7000.[4]
Industrial organisation
Airbus divides commercial final assembly among locations in Europe, North America and Asia. Toulouse assembles A320-family aircraft and the A330 and A350; Hamburg, Mobile and Tianjin also assemble A320-family aircraft, while A220 assembly takes place in Mirabel and Mobile. Suppliers and partner companies contribute components before final assembly. This distributed arrangement is fundamental to understanding an Airbus aircraft's origin: the final assembly location is only one part of its manufacturing chain.[4][5]