Founder Profile
Henri Ziegler
Last reviewed: September 2026 · By Swet Parvadiya
Who is Henri Ziegler?
Henri Ziegler is a founder of Airbus SE, which was founded in 1970 with Roger Béteille, Felix Kracht and Franz Josef Strauss.
- Company founded
- Airbus SE
- Founded
- 1970
- Co-founders
- Roger Béteille, Felix Kracht and Franz Josef Strauss
Background
French aviation pioneer, test pilot, and former CEO of Sud Aviation.
Founding Story
Henri Ziegler (1906-1998) was the foundational architect of Airbus and its first CEO. He successfully navigated the incredibly complex political negotiations between the French and German governments to launch the A300 program. A highly decorated WWII resistance fighter, he used his immense political capital to force European aerospace companies to cooperate, laying the groundwork for the modern Airbus consortium. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).
Sources
This profile does not yet cite a source specific to Henri Ziegler. The sources below document the company company rather than the person, so check them against the claims above.
- Airbus Full-Year 2025 Results (Airbus SE)
- Airbus SE Board Report FY2025 (Airbus SE)