Airbus // Universal Registration Document 2023

1. Information on the Company’s Activities

1.1 Presentation of the Company

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In 2023, Airbus Defence and Space repositioned around three dimensions: Air Power, Space Power and Information Superiority. In Air Power, Airbus continues to extend the competitiveness of its aircraft and services portfolio and saw additional orders for the A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) from the Government of Canada and the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA). Working with the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Airbus UpNext, Airbus Defence and Space achieved in-flight autonomous guidance and control of a drone using an A310 MRTT, a first step towards Autonomous Formation Flight and Autonomous Air-to-Air refuelling (A4R). Furthermore, the Spanish Ministry of Defence ordered 16 Airbus C295 aircraft in Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) configuration and Maritime Surveillance Aircraft (MSA) configurations and the first C295 for India successfully completed its maiden flight, marking a significant milestone towards the deliveries of 56 C295 aircraft ordered in September 2021. Airbus and Leonardo signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly promote integrated training systems and study the future solutions to tackle Air Dominance challenges. In unmanned systems, Airbus Defence and Space signed a contract with the Spanish Ministry of Defence for the development and acquisition of SIRTAP, a High Performance Tactical UAS that will reinforce the tactical capabilities of the Spanish Army and the Air and Space Force. The development of SIRTAP will bring the national industry key experience and competences in the field of Remote Carriers for FCAS. 1.2 Pioneering for the next generation In preparing the next generation of aircraft, the need to meet global sustainability targets will be the catalyst that allows aviation to continue to meet its larger purpose of uniting the world. The quest for lower carbon air travel will fundamentally change aerospace. Not since the introduction of the jet engine has the industry faced such a challenge, in particular around new energy sources. New certification challenges, new materials, new designs, new industrial processes and new business models will also be assessed, which will provide sources of opportunity. In short, the Company aims to set the standards and mature the technologies of sustainable aviation for the benefit of the environment and society at large, delivering products and services that are scalable and economically attractive while delivering a step change to the market. Airbus is well underway in preparing the enablers for this evolution and has invested in the key research and technology building blocks that will underpin their development. In 2023, Airbus UpNext launched a new demonstrator programme named HyPower to explore, through the use of hydrogen fuel cells on the ground and in flight, a new architecture for the generation of energy to be used for non-propulsion purposes in the aircraft. Another key milestone was Airbus UpNext’s successful maiden flight of Blue Condor, its hydrogen powered experimental aircraft. The flight was the Company’s first to use hydrogen as the sole fuel source, and it started a test campaign that is scheduled to conclude with a contrail measuring mission in 2024. Airbus is committed to pioneering radical technological breakthroughs that lead further along the path toward a climate neutral aviation.

Airbus is also leading a European consortium that seeks to increase the air mobility capabilities of the armed forces of EU Member States with the new Future Mid-size Tactical Cargo (FMTC) transport aircraft, which would complement the missions of the A400M. 1.3 Build advantages through a broad span of products and services within aerospace and defence The resilience provided by a broad portfolio of products and services is essential for Airbus today and will continue to be in the future. Most aerospace companies maintain defence and space elements within their portfolio in an effort to gain synergies and increase stability. This is also true for Airbus, with commercial aircraft, helicopters, defence, space, and security activities all part of the portfolio. Governmental, military and commercial business, products and services, fixed wing and rotary platforms, satellites and launchers, both self- and customer-funded, are all elements which balance market variations, offer synergies, and help to smooth investment cycles. Additionally, as digital design, manufacturing and services require similar capabilities across aerospace segments, owning a broad portfolio delivers flexibility in resource allocation and the leveraging of investments in core capabilities. The COVID-19 crisis demonstrated the importance of having strong and complementary helicopter, defence, space and security businesses alongside commercial aviation within the portfolio, enhancing the resilience of the overall group. 1.4 Expand as a leader towards new territories In commercial aviation, the demand for more fuel-efficient solutions will play out globally and will continue to drive demand for our products and services. In helicopters, Urban Air Mobility (“ UAM ”) is at the forefront of a revolution towards more sustainable electric flight that will allow for complementary urban transport solutions that will alleviate urban congestion by utilising airspace. By 2030, 60% of the world’s population will be urban. This significant population growth is expected to create a real need for innovative mobility options as ground infrastructure becomes increasingly congested. Capturing growth in these new vertical take-off and landing (“ VTOL ”) and UAM markets, for both platforms and services, is a driver for the Company’s strategy. The Company launched its CityAirbus NextGen eVTOL in 2021 for this purpose. In the defence sector, shaping air and space power by integrating aircraft, unmanned systems and space assets with a cloud structure for command and control will, if successful, revolutionise the capabilities of Airbus’ defence customers, with a view to securing the Company’s long-term presence in defence markets.

2. Consolidate European strengths and deepen global reach

The ambition of European industrialists to work together towards a common goal of creating one leading player in commercial aerospace has been decisive to the success of the Company. The Company has become a global company, but has stayed true to its roots, and in view of aerospace and defence being regarded as a sovereign industry, Airbus continues to act as a trusted partner to European governments.

Airbus Annual Report

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Universal Registration Document 2023