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Five things Airbus got right and five it didn't

Over its 50-year history, Airbus has led the way in a number of major technological and industrial innovations and contributions to the industry. Here, we list five of the most important, together with five products or business moves that – with the glorious benefit of hindsight – failed to live up to billing.

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How the cockpits have changed since 1972

The Airbus ‘front office’ has undergone evolutionary and revolutionary changes since the original A300B1 cockpit of 1972. Here, we trace the flightdeck development story

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The future of Airbus Defence & Space

Having grown from early collaboration, Airbus’s defence arm is now aiming to replicate the commercial unit’s stellar performance

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Christian Scherer’s sales vision

If Airbus has been perceived as spending much of the half century since its creation playing catch-up with its rival in Seattle, nobody appears to have told Christian Scherer, chief commercial officer and the man tasked with persuading airlines that Airbus is the better option.