[SatNews] Airbus Group has created a new group-wide Foundation by extending the membership of the Airbus Corporate Foundation.
In addition to Airbus, the Foundation now also includes Airbus Defence and Space, Airbus Helicopters, and Airbus Group. It integrates the respective activities of all these three Divisions as well as the Group’s and will continue to focus on supporting the humanitarian community as well as educating and inspiring young people through the world of aerospace.
The new Airbus Corporate Foundation will have a budget of around 15 million euros over three years. The Airbus Helicopters Foundation, launched in 2012, will operate in parallel until 2017 and will focus on providing helicopter support for humanitarian crises, in collaboration with the Airbus Corporate Foundation, as well as partnerships for sea and mountain rescue operations. The former EADS Foundation was dissolved in August 2014.
Airbus Group CEO Tom Enders is Chairman of the Board of the new Foundation, which includes the following members: Airbus CEO Fabrice Brégier, Airbus Helicopters CEO Guillaume Faury, Airbus Defence and Space CEO Bernhard Gerwert, Airbus Group Chief Human Resources Officer Thierry Baril, Airbus Group Chief Technical Officer Jean Botti, Airbus Group Inc. Chairman and CEO Allan McArtor, and the Chairman and CEO of Airbus Group China, Laurence Barron. Five experts will also be appointed to the Board, as well as two employee representatives. Andrea Debbane, Executive Director of the Airbus Corporate Foundation, has been appointed Executive Director of the new group Foundation.
“Airbus Group takes corporate citizenship very seriously and through it we serve the communities where we operate and also support citizens in the markets that we sell our products. With the new Airbus Corporate Foundation, I hope we can reach out to a larger population and continue to inspire young people to pursue their studies and ultimately join the aeronautics industry. It will also support humanitarian projects around the globe. I would like to congratulate Airbus Group employees for their dedication and passion in serving our communities,” said Tom Enders, Airbus Group CEO.
One of the key objectives of the new entity will be to extend partnerships worldwide in countries and regions where the Group operates, through trans-divisional and trans-national programs. Examples of current global partnerships that are run locally include the “Flying Challenge,” a youth mentoring program that aims to encourage middle and high school students to continue their studies. The program is run together with the United Way on four sites including Toulouse, Wichita, Madrid and Cadiz. The United Way works with the local schools’ teaching staff and community NGOs, engaging local universities and Airbus employee volunteers to support children with their vocational choices.
The Airbus Corporate Foundation will also continue supporting the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to supply air transport for their Emergency Response Units in times of natural disasters and crises as well as working with the Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies of the IFRC to support community programs, involving Airbus employees.
Since its establishment in 2008, the Airbus Corporate Foundation has transported 450 tons of aid worldwide and reached out to 5,000 young people around Airbus’ sites in Europe and in the U.S. with the support of some 800 Airbus employee volunteers.
Since its creation, the Airbus Helicopters Foundation, based in Marignane, has focused on deploying helicopters to respond to humanitarian needs (around 150 helicopters flight hours chartered between September 2013 and May 2014) but also on forging others partnerships in the areas of sea and mountain rescue and emergency medicine.
The EADS Foundation, since its establishment in 2004, supported 120 science and research projects as well as created 12 research and teaching chairs. The new Airbus Corporate Foundation will continue to support the student grants and some of the projects previously carried out by the EADS Foundation.
