In 1970, Airbus was formed as a joint European consortium to compete with US-American companies such as Boeing.₁ The German-French-Spanish company Airbus Group (until 2014 known as the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company) has since 2006 owned the consortium after buying British BAE Systems’ share.₂
 
Airbus is active in many areas, and in addition to civil aviation, they also play a role in the defense industry (Airbus Defence and Space).₃ For instance, the company is a part of the Eurofighter project, which produced the fighter jet Typhoon, exhibited at the 2018 Internationale Luft- und Raumfahrtausstellung”.₄ Airbus is also directly involved in the production of nuclear weapons and various types of guided weapons and missiles through its joint participation in MBDA S.A.S.,₅ alongside other weaponry companies. Among other product, MBDA produces, nuclear missiles for the French nuclear submarines and the French air forces.₆ MBDA has also been exporting armament to Saudi Arabia, which has been used in the Yemen war.₇
 
Recently, Airbus has been the first company to be affected by the consequences of the German arms export ban to Saudi Arabia,₈ established in reaction to the killing of the Saudi journalist, Jamal Khashoggi.₉ The ban not only covers German produced armament, but also the export of products, which are produced in collaboration with international companies outside Germany, therefore not only affecting the German branch of Airbus.₁₀ The export ban has consequently turned into one of the main topics of French-German diplomacy.₁₁
 
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