Before becoming Airbus Group in 2014, the parent company was called EADS.
EADS stands for European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company. It was formed in 2000 through the merger of DaimlerChrysler Aerospace, Aérospatiale-Matra, and Construcciones Aeronáuticas. The company owned Airbus and also had major activities in defence, space, and helicopters.
In January 2014, EADS changed its corporate name to Airbus Group. The commercial-aircraft division, previously known as Airbus, became Airbus Group’s principal business. In 2015, Airbus Group was renamed Airbus Group SE, and in 2017 the group adopted the shorter name Airbus SE.
EADS is sometimes confused with Airbus Industrie, the earlier aircraft-manufacturing consortium created by European partners. Airbus Industrie was not simply another corporate name for the entire EADS group.