Airbus SE will receive a €3 billion financing package from the European Investment Bank for research, development and innovation activities in France, Germany and Spain, covering commercial aircraft and defence aviation. The first €1 billion tranche was signed in Brussels on Monday.
The EIB said the €3 billion commitment is the largest financing package it has approved for a corporate borrower. The funding is intended for the development of new technologies and related industrial capabilities within the European Union, and the bank said the operation fits its financing priorities for innovation, competitiveness and security-related capabilities in the EU.
Under the EIB’s published security and defence eligibility framework, it can finance research and innovation for dual-use and defence-related technologies, while excluding weapons and ammunition. Airbus Chief Financial Officer Thomas Toepfer said the facility provides competitive pricing and flexibility that supports balance-sheet management and limits the cost of holding undrawn funds while maintaining long-term investment in aerospace innovation.
Airbus has continued to spend heavily on research and development, reporting €730 million of R&D expense in the first quarter of 2026 and cash and cash equivalents of €11.886 billion at March 31, 2026. The new facility expands a long-standing financing relationship between Airbus and the EIB, which previously signed a €300 million innovation finance contract in 2016.