Europe Risks Aerospace Obsolescence Without Technology Investment, Airbus Engineering Chief Warns
Rémi Maillard, Executive Vice-President Engineering for Airbus Commercial Aircraft and Head of Technology, has warned that Europe faces aerospace obsolescence without increased technology investment. Appointed to his role on July 1, 2025, Maillard leads over 15,000 engineers responsible for design, development, testing, certification, and continuous airworthiness of commercial aircraft products. He also coordinates research and technology activities across Airbus businesses.
This caution aligns with broader industry concerns. Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury highlighted Europe’s fragmentation in defense, urging countries to unite on large-scale projects for competitiveness, as noted in recent discussions. Faury emphasized the need for collaboration to achieve scale in investments and technologies, drawing parallels to successful pan-European efforts like Airbus itself.
Maillard’s leadership comes amid pressing operational challenges. Airbus identified that intense solar radiation can corrupt critical data in A320 family flight control computers, affecting nearly 11,500 active aircraft worldwide. The company issued an Alert Operators Transmission, prompting an Emergency Airworthiness Directive from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. Operators must implement software or hardware protections, potentially grounding planes from Sunday until compliance, impacting up to 6,000 aircraft and causing flight disruptions.
Airbus acknowledged operational inconveniences but prioritized safety. This follows ongoing A320neo engine issues with Pratt & Whitney units. Such events underscore the urgency for sustained R&T investment to maintain Europe’s leadership in aerospace innovation and reliability.