Airbus was launched to provide a European base through which non-U.S. companies could compete in the international commercial aircraft industry against the powerhouses of the
United States. Since its formation, the company has grown through the assimilation of the aerospace and defense-related operations of its three founding members: Aerospatiale Matra of
France, Construcciones Aeronáuticas (CASA) of Spain, and DaimlerChrysler Aerospace of Germany. Today, the company ranks as the world's second-largest aerospace company
(behind Boeing) and the largest in Europe.
Reports on this and additional companies are contained in our Defense & Aerospace Companies Series,
Volume I and
Volume II.
Volume I covers over 50 U.S. and Canadian primes and their subsidiaries. Volume II covers over 60 top companies in Europe, Asia, and the rest of the world.
