The company was established in 1970 as a "Groupement
d'lnterat Economique" to manage the development, manufacture
and marketing of the A300 widebodied
short/medium range twin-engined transport (A300B first
flown October
A300
28,1972). Airbus consortium owned by
Aerospatiale of France (37.9 percent), DaimlerChrysler of
Germany (37.9 percent), British Aerospace (20 percent) and
CASA of Spain (4.2 percent), which are also the main industrial
participants in design, development, and manufacture.
Associate members of the consortium are Belairbus of Belgium
and Fokker Aviation of the
A320
Netherlands (q.v. all). Airbus
Industrie is being restructured into a limited-liability company
in 1999. Divisions include Airbus Industrie Asia, formed
with Alenia of Italy (q.v.) to develop a new airliner in partnership
with AVIC of China and ST Aero of Singapore; Airbus
Military Company to develop the FLA military freighter
A330
(taking
over from former Euroflag, q.v.); and Large Aircraft, founded
in 1996 to progress work on the ultra-large A3XX airliner.
Initial Airbus A300B2/B4 airliners delivered 1974-
1986; current version of A300 is A300-600 for 231 -361
passengers (first flown July 1983), delivered from 1984. A310 first flew April 1982 as
A340
191-280 short/medium-range
wide-body airliner; A319 first flew August 1995 as
shortened variant of A320, for 124-145 passengers; A320
short/medium-range airliner first flew February 1987, for
137-180 passengers; A321 lengthened version of A320
for 185-220 passengers, first flown March 1993; A330
medium/extended-range wide-body airliner for 295-440
passengers, first flown November 1992; and A340
A380
four-engined
companion of A330 for long-range and mediumdensity
services, first flown October 1991 and
accommodating 250-440 passengers. A3XX expected to
enter service in year 2004 as the world's first very-highcapacity
and full double-deck airliner, with initial accommodation
for 555 passengers in three-class arrangement,
but with variants for up to 854; not yet flown. FLA (Future
Large Aircraft) military freighter expected to enter service
in year 2004, but not yet flown.
