Paris, 16 June 2003
EADS, the world’s second largest aerospace and defence company, stated Monday in a press conference at the 45th Le Bourget Air Show, that EADS has the fastest growing defence order book in the industry. At the same time, EADS is expanding its position as the leader in world-wide commercial aviation. EADS plays a leading role at the Paris airshow, which is the world’s largest meeting of aerospace industry leaders, located at the Le Bourget airfield just outside of Paris, France.
The EADS CEOs stated at the press conference, “With the launch of the A400M and other significant programmes, we have achieved our stated goal at being a leader in the global defence business. Already, our defence order book is one of the largest in the world and is poised to grow further. In fact, we are only weeks away from signing the contract for the Skynet 5 Military Satellite Communications Services Programme, worth about €3 billion.”
Additional drivers of growth are programmes nearing contract finalization, such as the Eurofighter in Austria and the US Coast Guard’s Deepwater programme.
The CEOs continued, “Strong growth in defence revenues coupled with the top commercial aerospace business will create balanced, sustained business growth throughout the decade.”
The key to the continued success of EADS is innovation across business units. From Space to Commercial Aviation, there are currently more than 200 integrated programmes sharing innovation from across businesses. With over 600 employees in the EADS Corporate Research Centre and global R & D spending at approximately 16% of revenues, EADS is dedicated to pushing the envelope of innovation.
“EADS is a leader in the midst of a rapidly changing environment,” said Camus and Hertrich. “We will remain at the forefront of the global industry because we consistently forge ahead to research, develop, and invest in products which not only deliver strong margins, but also set the standard for the industry.”
Important EADS programmes such as the A400M, a military transport aircraft; the Airbus A380, the world’s only superjumbo commercial airliner; and the EADS Air Tanker, a flexible air-to-air refuelling aircraft are a few examples of how EADS quickly applies research and technology to reshape the market in this decade and beyond.
Camus and Hertrich added, “EADS is truly global, and we will continue to create scale that generates profit. Building our global presence and leveraging global efficiencies, while achieving balance between commercial, defence, and space businesses allow us to ease business cycles and ensure long-term value creation.”
To sustain the defence growth momentum, EADS also provided more detail on a new organizational structure of its defence business, adapted to meet customer demand. The redesigned defence organization contains four components: the new Defence and Security Systems Division; an integrated military transport business, a fully controlled Astrium space unit which coordinates with all defence businesses and the Defence Strategy Group, a cross-business steering body.
The EADS CEOs also stated, “We see EADS as one of NATO’s essential providers. Our belief is that NATO is more important than ever, not only for the security of Europe, but also in extending the capabilities of Western democracies toward unstable regions around the world.”
In commercial aviation, EADS emphasised that Airbus is well-positioned to manage the market downturn and also to actively manage industry recovery.
“Our Commercial aviation unit, Airbus, is strong with positive growth potential, a duopoly with no mid-term competitor, and offers a product which is advanced and extremely competitive in the global marketplace,” Camus and Hertrich noted. “Our goal is clear: Airbus is the leader in deliveries and in order intake and Airbus will be even more competitive in the future.”
The CEOs closed by also stating, “At EADS, our eyes are not only fixed on the short-term, but also on delivering long-term value. Our business is always about building the future.”
EADS is a global aerospace and defence company and is the world’s second largest in revenues with € 29.9 billion in 2002. EADS has a workforce of more than 100,000 and is a market leader in defence technology, commercial aircraft, helicopters, space, military transport and combat aircraft, as well as related services. Its family of leading brands includes the commercial aircraft manufacturer Airbus, the world's largest helicopter manufacturer Eurocopter, the space company Astrium and MBDA, the world’s second largest missile company. EADS is the biggest partner in the Eurofighter consortium and heads the A400M military transport aircraft programme. The company has over 70 sites in Germany, France, Great Britain and Spain. It is active in many regions worldwide, including the U.S., Russia and Asia.
Rainer Ohler
Tel. +49 89 607 34 235
Miguel Sanchez
Tel. +34 91 585 77 89
Roland Sanguinetti
Tel. +33 1 42 24 24 26
At Le Bourget :
EADS Press Chalet
Tel. + 33 141 62 89 74
