1967 Airbus takes off

Valerian Ho recalls the birth of the European aircraft manufacturer

In the early 20th century, Boeing dominated the aviation industry. But in 1967, the seeds were sown for a European rival. At a meeting in July, 1967, ministers from France, Germany and Britain agreed “for the purpose of strengthening European cooperation in the field of aviation technology and thereby promoting economic and technological progress in Europe, to take appropriate measures for the joint development and production of an airbus.” Following the meeting, the “fathers” of Airbus were formed. They were French engineer Roger Béteille, who was appointed technical director of the A300 programme; Henri Ziegler, president of Sud Aviation, named general manager of Airbus Industrie; and German politician Franz-Josef Strauss, as the chairman of the supervisory board. Two years later at Le Bourget airshow, the French transport minister sat down with the German…

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Business Traveller Asia-Pacific Edition (Digital) - 1 Issue, November 2017

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