Airbus Heirs paid special tribut to pioneer
Toulouse, 31 January 2001
Around 400 pioneers of Europe's aircraft industry have celebrated 30 years of Airbus success together with their heirs. They came from France, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States to be there; among them were Roger Béteille, Ludwig Bölkow, Felix Kracht, Georges Ville. They were all there, including Bernard Dufour, Max Fischl, Bernard Ziegler and many others, both well-known and unknown.
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Airbus Industrie is now one of the two largest manufacturers of large commercial aircraft in the world. In Toulouse this Wednesday, the pioneers gathered close to the assembly line of the first Airbus and to the runway from which the first Airbus took off on October 28, 1972.
About 100 photographs, depicting the Airbus history, were exhibited in a dedicated place called the "Pioneers Circle", specially designed as a place to re-unite the company's founder fathers.
Philippe Camus and Rainer Hertrich, co-CEOs of EADS European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company, the major shareholder in Airbus, opened the ceremony.
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"In my time at the former Aerospatiale Matra, I had the idea to bring together all the Airbus pioneers in Toulouse. Today it is a reality and we are here to celebrate this precious heritage bequeathed to us by you without which Airbus could never have existed. Our future relies on your past, and it is important for all of us to recognise our roots" said Philippe Camus.
"I am incredibly proud to be able to welcome you here today, to be one of your number(...). Airbus is a story of human achievement, but it is also a major chapter in European history made possible thanks to your commitment" added Rainer Hertrich.
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For Alberto Fernandez, Chairman and CEO of EADS CASA, "The pioneers took part in the great Airbus adventure, working as close and faithful partners 30 years ago, and their work has allowed the European company to play a very important role in the aeronautics world market today."
And in the mind of Mike Turner, COO BAE SYSTEMS, remain prominent "the risks that the people at the very beginning must have taken in launching the Airbus venture. Any industry, any company, needs great leaders and I think those people are very well respected all around Europe as people who have taken Airbus from where it was then to where it is today."
Manfred Bischoff and Jean-Luc Lagardère, co-chairmen of the EADS Board, also took part in this very special day.
For Manfred Bischoff, "Everyone involved in the entire European aerospace industry will agree with me in saying that we cannot be more proud of the Airbus success story. The industry today would look very different without the contribution of the Airbus pioneers who against intense competition convinced the market with outstanding products".
" My own deep personal thoughts", said Jean-Luc Lagardère, "are for those people who started Airbus 30 years ago. I want to congratulate them and to thank them because it is thanks to these top talented European engineers that we can now address the major challenge of the 21st century and of the 3rd millenium. "
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Noël Forgeard, CEO of the new Airbus company concluded: " This day is a great symbol, the symbol of that spirit which has been the driving force behind Airbus for the last 30 years. The symbol of a working method which harnesses that spirit, transforming vision to reality and reality to success. Men are the wings which lift our company into the skies. "
A film showing testimonies and fifteen paintings specially drawn by "Les Peintres de l'Air" illustrated the three key-words of the Airbus pioneers: "Vision, Passion, Tenacity". Some of the great Airbus pioneers were invited to speak about their own experiences. After the ceremony all the guests had the opportunity to visit the impressive A330/A340 final assembly line.
Of course, tribute was also paid to those who are no longer with us but who remain part of the soul of Airbus: Henri Ziegler, Franz-Josef Strauss, Bernard Lathière and many others.
Press contacts:
Roland Sanguinetti
Tel. +33 1 42 24 24 26 - Fax: +33 1 42 24 24 28
Martine Galland
Tel: +33 1 42 24 22 54 - Fax: +33 1 42 24 24 28
Rainer Ohler
Tel: +49 89 607 342 35 - Fax: +49 89 607 342 39
Miguel Sanchez
Tel: +34 91 585 77 89 - Fax: +34 91 585 74 57
Barbara Kracht
Tel.: +33 5 61 93 33 53 - Fax: +33 5 61 93 38 36
Karen Mitchell
Tel.: +44 117 936 27 46 - Fax:+44 117 936 54 48
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