Editing Airbus A300 (section)

=== Programme launch ===
[[File:Airbus A300B2-103 (F-WUAD) at Le Bourget Airport.jpg|thumb|An A300 in vintage Airbus livery, it was rolled out on 28 September 1972]]

On 29 May 1969, during the [[Paris Air Show]], French transport minister [[Jean Chamant]] and German economics minister [[Karl Schiller]] signed an agreement officially launching the Airbus A300, the world's first twin-engine widebody airliner.<ref name="early days" /> The intention of the project was to produce an aircraft that was smaller, lighter, and more economical than its three-engine American rivals, the [[McDonnell Douglas DC-10]] and the [[Lockheed L-1011 TriStar]].<ref name="first order flight" /> In order to meet Air France's demands for an aircraft larger than 250-seat A300B, it was decided to stretch the fuselage to create a new variant, designated as the A300B2, which would be offered alongside the original 250-seat A300B, henceforth referred to as the A300B1. On 3 September 1970, Air France signed a letter of intent for six A300s, marking the first order to be won for the new airliner.<ref name=Simons />{{rp|39}}<ref name="first order flight" /><ref name=NorWag />{{rp|21}}

In the aftermath of the Paris Air Show agreement, it was decided that, in order to provide effective management of responsibilities, a [[Groupement d'intérêt économique]] would be established, allowing the various partners to work together on the project while remaining separate business entities.<ref name="early days" /> On 18 December 1970, Airbus Industrie was formally established following an agreement between [[Aérospatiale]] (the newly merged [[Sud Aviation]] and [[Nord Aviation]]) of France and the antecedents to [[Deutsche Aerospace]] of Germany, each receiving a 50 per cent stake in the newly formed company.<ref name=Bowen />{{rp|50}}<ref name=Simons />{{rp|39}}<ref name="first order flight" /> In 1971, the consortium was joined by a third full partner, the Spanish firm [[Construcciones Aeronáuticas|CASA]], who received a 4.2 per cent stake, the other two members reducing their stakes to 47.9 per cent each.<ref name="first order flight" /><ref name=NorWag />{{rp|20}} In 1979, Britain joined the Airbus consortium via [[British Aerospace]], which Hawker Siddeley had merged into, which acquired a 20 per cent stake in Airbus Industrie with France and Germany each reducing their stakes to 37.9 per cent.<ref name=Bowen />{{rp|53}}<ref name=ITC />{{rp|2–14}}<ref name=Simons />{{rp|39}}