Airbus Industrie was formed in 1970 as a European aircraft consortium.
The organization united aerospace companies from France, West Germany, Spain, and later other European countries. Its first aircraft project was the A300, designed to challenge established American manufacturers in the commercial-airliner market.
Airbus Industrie was initially structured as a Groupement d'intérêt économique, or GIE, rather than as a conventional single corporation. This arrangement allowed the participating companies to share development work, production, and financial risk.
The Airbus name later became associated with Airbus S.A.S., the modern aircraft manufacturer. The consortium's creation is generally regarded as the starting point of Airbus's commercial-aircraft business, although several predecessor national aerospace companies had already existed before 1970.