Guillaume Faury

Guillaume Faury became CEO of Airbus in April 2019, just months after the first Boeing 737 MAX crash that would reshape the global aerospace duopoly. A graduate of École Polytechnique and Supaéro, Faury is an aerospace engineer and former test pilot who served as CEO of Eurocopter (now Airbus Helicopters) before leading the entire group. His technical background is unusual among major industrial CEOs and gives him credibility in an engineering-intensive organization. Faury has presided over the most favorable competitive environment in Airbus's history. Boeing's 737 MAX groundings, production quality scandals, and delivery delays have driven airlines to shift orders to Airbus's A320neo family. The result is a record backlog exceeding 8,500 aircraft worth over $700 billion at list prices — representing roughly a decade of production at current rates. The paradox of Faury's position is that success has created its own crisis: supply chain constraints. The aerospace supply chain, devastated by COVID-19 layoffs, cannot produce engines, fuselages, and components fast enough to meet Airbus's ramp-up targets. Faury has had to repeatedly adjust monthly production rate targets for the A320 family, frustrating investors who expected faster delivery growth. Beyond commercial aviation, Faury is positioning Airbus for the long term through hydrogen-powered aircraft research, military programs including the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), and the growing space and satellite business. His challenge is executing the production ramp while maintaining quality — knowing that Boeing's current crisis started with production shortcuts.