Guillaume Faury
"At Airbus, our ambition is to lead the decarbonisation of our sector and build the world’s first emissions-free airliner by 2035."
— Guillaume Faury[1]
Overview
Guillaume Faury | |
|---|---|
 Faury in 2019 | |
| Born | 1968 (age 56–57) Cherbourg, Normandy, France |
| Citizenship | French |
| Education | École Polytechnique; SUPAERO |
| Alma mater | École Polytechnique; SUPAERO |
| Occupation(s) | Engineer; Chief Executive Officer |
| Employer | Airbus |
| Known for | CEO of Airbus; advocacy of zero-emission aircraft |
| Title | Chief Executive Officer, Airbus |
| Term | 2019–present |
| Predecessor | Tom Enders |
| Board member of | AXA (non-executive director) |
| Children | 3 |
✈️ Guillaume Faury (born 1968) is a French engineer and business executive who has served as Chief Executive Officer of Airbus since April 2019. A former helicopter flight-test engineer, he previously headed the group’s rotorcraft division as Chief Executive Officer of Airbus Helicopters and later led its commercial aircraft business, giving him direct experience across much of the company’s product range.[3][4] Under his leadership Airbus has navigated the COVID-19 aviation downturn, set a strategic focus on decarbonising air transport and consolidated its competitive position against Boeing in the large civil aircraft market.[5]
Early life and education
🎓 Origins and studies. Guillaume Faury was born in 1968 in the port city of Cherbourg in Normandy, far from France’s traditional political and corporate centres. From a young age he developed an interest in aircraft and flying, which he later combined with strong performance in science and mathematics at school. After preparatory studies he entered the elite École Polytechnique in Paris, graduating in 1990, and then continued at the aerospace engineering school SUPAERO (École Nationale Supérieure de l’Aéronautique et de l’Espace) in Toulouse, building a broad foundation in aeronautical engineering and systems design.[3]
🛩️ Pilot and test engineer. Alongside his academic work, Faury obtained a pilot’s licence and went on to qualify as a light-aircraft pilot and helicopter flight-test engineer, accumulating more than 1,300 hours of flying time. This combination of hands-on flying experience and formal engineering training gave him an operational understanding of aircraft behaviour that would later inform both his technical and managerial decisions at Airbus.[3]
Career
Early engineering career and Eurocopter
🛠️ Flight-test beginnings. Faury began his professional career in 1992 at the French defence procurement agency, working as a flight-test engineer on the Tiger attack helicopter programme developed by Eurocopter. His early responsibilities involved close cooperation with test pilots and design teams, exposing him to the safety-critical environment of military rotorcraft development and helping establish his reputation for meticulous attention to technical detail.[3][6]
🚁 Rise at Eurocopter. In 1998 Faury joined Eurocopter (later Airbus Helicopters), advancing through a series of engineering and programme leadership posts before becoming Executive Vice-President for Programmes and, subsequently, for Research and Development. In these roles he helped oversee major helicopter development projects and was regarded internally as an executive able to translate flight-test findings into design and industrial decisions, foreshadowing his later blend of technical and managerial responsibilities.[3][6]
Automotive interlude at Peugeot
🚗 Peugeot interlude. In 2009 Faury left the aerospace sector for a four-year period to join French carmaker Peugeot as Executive Vice-President for Research and Development. There he worked on high-volume automobile programmes and technologies such as hybrid powertrains, gaining exposure to consumer product cycles, cost-sensitive manufacturing and platform-sharing strategies that differed from the lower-volume, high-complexity environment of helicopters and airliners.[3][6]
Return to Airbus and leadership of helicopters
🔩 CEO of Airbus Helicopters. Faury returned to the Airbus group in 2013 as Chief Executive Officer of Airbus Helicopters, taking charge of the rotorcraft division at a time of competitive pressure and industrial challenges. During his tenure to 2018 he restructured parts of the manufacturing system, advanced programmes such as the H160 medium helicopter and other next-generation models, and promoted new technologies including high-speed demonstrators and urban-air-mobility concepts, aiming to improve both product performance and industrial efficiency.[3][6]
President of Airbus Commercial Aircraft
🧩 Commercial aircraft leadership. In February 2018 Faury was appointed President of Airbus’s Commercial Aircraft division, effectively becoming the group’s top executive for its core jetliner business and the designated successor to then-CEO Tom Enders. In this role he oversaw production of the A320neo and A350 families and the integration of the A220 programme acquired from Bombardier, while also encouraging increased use of data analytics in manufacturing and maintenance to support a gradual digital transformation of Airbus’s industrial system.[3][6][7]
Chief Executive Officer of Airbus
🧭 Appointment as Airbus CEO. On 8 October 2018 the Airbus Board of Directors selected Faury to succeed Tom Enders as Chief Executive Officer of Airbus, a transition that became effective in April 2019. The board cited his “strong personal values” and “straightforward leadership style” as well as his experience across helicopters and commercial aircraft as reasons for the choice, and he was reappointed for a further term in 2022.[4][3]
🌱 Decarbonisation agenda. As CEO, Faury has made environmental sustainability a central strategic theme, positioning Airbus as a leading proponent of lower-carbon aviation. He has championed development of hydrogen-powered concepts under the “ZEROe” initiative and publicly set an ambition for Airbus to bring a zero-emission commercial airliner into service around 2035, while advocating for government support to build the necessary hydrogen infrastructure and for broader use of sustainable aviation fuels.[8][3]
😷 COVID-19 crisis management. Barely a year after Faury took office, the COVID-19 pandemic caused an unprecedented collapse in global air travel, forcing Airbus to cut production and implement major cost-reduction measures. In June 2020 the company announced plans to eliminate about 15,000 jobs, nearly 11% of its workforce, a decision that provoked strong criticism from labour unions and political leaders in Europe but which Faury defended as necessary for the company’s survival, stating that Airbus had “no choice” in the face of the industry downturn.[9]
🏭 Production ramp-up and supply chains. As traffic recovered, Faury shifted focus to restoring and then increasing output of Airbus’s commercial aircraft, particularly the A320neo family, in order to meet surging demand and consolidate the company’s market position. Airbus set an ambitious target of producing 75 A320-family jets per month, but supply-chain constraints, especially in engines and cabin equipment, forced revisions to the timetable; Faury has acknowledged these delays as “a significant disappointment” while working with suppliers to stabilise deliveries and maintain long-term ramp-up plans.[7][9]
📈 Airbus versus Boeing. Under Faury’s tenure Airbus has reinforced the commercial momentum that saw it overtake Boeing in annual aircraft deliveries and, in 2019, edge ahead in revenue, becoming the world’s largest aerospace company by sales for that year.[10] Analysts at Aviation Strategy estimate that over the decade to 2024 Airbus generated around US$27.5 billion in cumulative net profit while Boeing recorded losses of roughly US$24 billion, and note that by early 2025 Airbus’s market capitalisation of about US$125 billion was approaching Boeing’s US$140 billion, compared with a much wider gap in 2017.[5] Share-price data show that after the pandemic slump Airbus stock recovered and by late 2023 was trading significantly above pre-COVID levels, broadly outperforming Boeing over the same period.[11]
Financial profile and external roles
💶 Executive compensation. As CEO of a major European industrial group, Faury receives multi-component remuneration that is sizeable by continental standards but lower than that of many U.S. peers. According to Airbus board reports, he received just over €3 million in total compensation for 2020, including a base salary of about €1.35 million and a variable bonus component of roughly €1.4 million at a time when the company was navigating the depths of the COVID crisis; he also chose to give up the variable compensation related to 2019 by donating the equivalent of his bonus to non-governmental organisations.[12] By 2023 his total compensation, including long-term share-based awards, remained below €6 million, a level described by some commentators as restrained compared with the more than US$20 million awarded to Boeing’s chief executive in the same year.[13]
📊 Shareholding and wealth. Faury is neither a founder nor a controlling shareholder of Airbus; his personal fortune is tied mainly to accumulated salary and performance-linked equity awards. Analyst estimates from Simply Wall St suggest that he directly owns around 0.003% of Airbus shares, a stake valued at roughly CHF 3.8 million, implying overall personal wealth in the low tens of millions of euros rather than the substantially larger fortunes of some global chief executives.[14]
🤝 Board positions and industry roles. Beyond his executive duties at Airbus, Faury serves as a non-executive director of AXA S.A., one of Europe’s largest insurance groups, providing him with exposure to a different regulated industry and additional board-level responsibilities. He has also been elected president of GIFAS, the French aerospace industries association, and of ASD, the Aerospace and Defence Industries Association of Europe, roles in which he represents the wider aerospace sector in discussions on regulation, trade and research funding.[3][8]
Personal life and leadership style
🏡 Family and privacy. Faury is married and has three children, but keeps his family life largely out of the public eye, in keeping with a relatively low-profile personal style for the head of a major industrial group.[3] Colleagues and press profiles have described him as grounded and approachable, more likely to spend free time with his family or flying light aircraft than participating in high-visibility social events.
🧠 Engineer’s approach to leadership. Consistent with his engineering background, Faury is often characterised as a fact-driven, straightforward manager. When the board announced his nomination as CEO it highlighted his “strong personal values” and direct leadership style, and reporting on his tenure at Airbus has emphasised habits such as visiting factory floors, engaging with shop-floor staff and encouraging open discussion of technical issues rather than relying solely on hierarchical reporting structures.[4][6]
📚 Mentoring and outreach. Faury has taken part in mentoring schemes inside Airbus and supports initiatives to promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers, for example through activities linked to the Airbus Foundation and appearances at engineering schools. These activities reflect a continued interest in technical education and in encouraging younger engineers to enter the aerospace industry, echoing the role his own engineering studies played in shaping his career.[3][6]
Controversies and challenges
⚖️ Legacy bribery investigations. Shortly after Faury’s appointment as CEO, Airbus concluded long-running investigations into past use of intermediaries and alleged corruption in aircraft sales dating from earlier leadership eras. In January 2020 the company reached a global settlement with authorities in France, the United Kingdom and the United States, agreeing to pay about €3.6 billion in fines to resolve the cases; commentators noted that this removed a major legal and reputational overhang as Faury began his tenure, and he used the moment to emphasise strengthened compliance and ethics programmes within Airbus.[15][4]
📉 Job cuts and labour relations. The large workforce reductions announced during the COVID-19 crisis drew criticism from trade unions and political leaders in France, Germany and other Airbus countries, who argued that the scale of the plan was excessive for a company seen as strategically important. Union representatives promised to resist compulsory redundancies and governments pressed Airbus to make full use of furlough and support schemes; over time, a mix of voluntary departures, early retirements and state support reduced the number of forced layoffs, and as demand returned Airbus began hiring again in some areas, though the episode left a legacy of tension in labour relations.[9]
🛫 Dispute with Qatar Airways. Another prominent challenge under Faury’s leadership was a highly public dispute with Qatar Airways over surface degradation on A350 long-haul aircraft. Qatar grounded part of its A350 fleet and launched legal action in the High Court in London, while Airbus—supported by European regulators—maintained that the issue did not raise safety concerns and responded by cancelling a separate Qatar order for A321neo aircraft. Faury stated publicly that he preferred an amicable solution but defended Airbus’s position; in early 2023 the parties announced a confidential settlement that halted all litigation, restored the A321neo order and set out a repair plan for the affected A350s.[16][17]
🌍 Climate and ESG debates. Faury has been an active participant in debates over aviation’s contribution to climate change, arguing that air transport is “a force for good” in terms of economic and social connectivity while acknowledging the sector’s responsibility to reduce emissions. He has promoted Airbus’s decarbonisation roadmap and supported measures such as sustainable aviation fuel development and hydrogen research, but has also cautioned that meeting net-zero targets will require coordinated action by airlines, manufacturers, energy suppliers and regulators; environmental groups and some activists continue to press Airbus and its peers to move faster in curbing emissions growth.[8]
🧩 Trade, defence and governance. In his roles at Airbus, GIFAS and ASD, Faury has commented on broader industrial policy questions, including opposition to transatlantic trade tariffs on aircraft and advocacy for greater European co-operation and scale in defence and space industries. He has also supported diversity and inclusion initiatives within Airbus and overseen governance reforms linked to the post-settlement compliance framework. While labour unions, environmental campaigners and some industry rivals have at times criticised particular decisions, observers generally portray his leadership as that of a technocrat focused on long-term industrial positioning and on balancing commercial objectives with regulatory and societal expectations.[5][3]
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References
- ↑ "Airbus chief defends aviation as a force for good". Aviation News Online.
- ↑ "WGS Dubai 2024: Boeing 737 MAX9 incident on Alaska Air humbled us too, says Airbus CEO". Gulf News.
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 "Guillaume Faury". Airbus. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "Airbus Board of Directors Selects Guillaume Faury Future Chief Executive Officer". Airbus. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Boeing and Airbus: The Financials". Aviation Strategy. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 "Guillaume Faury Airbus". backup.education. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Airbus chief Faury balances present-day pressures against pushing future boundaries". FlightGlobal. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 "Airbus Chief Defends Aviation As A Force For Good". Aviation News Online. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 "Airbus to cut 15,000 jobs to survive coronavirus crisis". Reuters. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
- ↑ "Competition between Airbus and Boeing". Wikipedia. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
- ↑ "Airbus SE A price". Digrin. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
- ↑ "Airbus CEO Took Home $3.7 Million in 2020, Board Report Says". Bloomberg Law. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
- ↑ "Pontifications: Boeing "transparency"-not so much". Leeham News and Analysis. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
- ↑ "Airbus SE (AIR) Leadership & Management Team Analysis". Simply Wall St. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
- ↑ "Airbus agrees deal on bribery investigations in UK, US and France". The Guardian. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
- ↑ "Airbus CEO says in discussion with Qatar on A350 dispute". Reuters. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
- ↑ "Qatar Airways and Airbus reach amicable settlement in legal dispute". Airbus. Retrieved 2025-11-20.