Supported
The cited record supports the material proposition.
The US Justice Department and the UK Serious Fraud Office said in January 2020 that Airbus used third-party business partners and agents to bribe officials and customers to win contracts.
- About
- Airbus SE
- Claim made by
- US Department of Justice, regulator statement
- Published
- 31 January 2020
- Original
- Airbus Agrees to Pay over $3.9 Billion in Global Penalties to Resolve Foreign Bribery and ITAR Case
- Evidence score
- 91 How it was scored
- Last reviewed
- 25 October 2026
Why this label
The DOJ release describes a scheme to use third-party business partners to bribe government officials and says Airbus engaged certain business partners to assist in itS1. The SFO says Airbus paid bribes through agents around the world and approved a DPA covering five counts of failing to prevent bribery in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan and GhanaS2. Both DPAs were approved by courts or filed with them. Airbus says the French agreement was not an admission of liabilityS3, so the French record does not carry an admission. A DPA is not a conviction, and the record supports the claim as a statement of what the authorities said and Airbus accepted.
Current procedural position
UK DPA approved by the President of the Queen's Bench Division on 31 January 2020S2. US DPA entered on 31 January 2020S1 and motion to dismiss filed on 28 July 2023 after full complianceS5.
Record supporting the assessment
arising out of the Company’s scheme to use third-party business partners to bribe government officials
Airbus paid bribes through agents around the world to stack the decks in its favour and win contracts around the globe.
Conflicting or limiting record
This agreement does not amount to an admission of liability.
Evidence score: 91 of 100
The score grades how well the record establishes this assessment. It is not a score of Airbus SE. Score = source authority + directness + corroboration + procedural accuracy + currency + reproducibility.
| Component | Points | Max | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Source authorityIs the source competent to establish the proposition? | 29 | 30 | DOJ and SFO records are competent to state what the DPAs cover. |
| DirectnessDoes the source state the proposition or only discuss adjacent facts? | 19 | 20 | Both releases state the use of business partners and agents for bribes. |
| CorroborationDo independent records support the same material point? | 14 | 15 | Two independent prosecutors in two countries describe the same conduct. |
| Procedural accuracyDoes the record settle the procedural state the claim describes? | 11 | 15 | Court approved DPAs are strong but are not convictions. |
| CurrencyHas the record been checked against later developments? | 8 | 10 | Checked against the 2023 dismissal motion. The court's order on it was not read. |
| ReproducibilityCan a reader locate the passage and repeat the assessment? | 10 | 10 | Both releases are public. |
| Total | 91 | 100 |
Timeline
Related cases
- United States v. Airbus SEUS District Court for the District of Columbia. Criminal. 1:20-cr-00021.Stage: Government motion to dismiss with prejudice filed on 28 July 2023 after full compliance with the DPA. Ruling on the motion not found in public records.
- Serious Fraud Office v. Airbus SECourt of England and Wales, approved by the President of the Queen's Bench Division. Criminal. Not published.Stage: Deferred prosecution agreement approved on 31 January 2020.
- EUR 991 million DPA approved on five counts of failing to prevent briberyS2
Responses
- Airbus SE, 31 January 2020: Airbus called the 2020 agreements a very important milestone and said the French agreement was not an admission of liability.S3
Revision history
- Assessment first published with label Supported.
Have a record that changes this assessment? See corrections and responses.
Sources
- S1Tier A Airbus Agrees to Pay over $3.9 Billion in Global Penalties to Resolve Foreign Bribery and ITAR CaseUS Department of Justice. Regulator press release. 31 January 2020.Supports the DPA, the FCPA conspiracy charge, the US$527 million US payment and the use of business partners. It does not cover later compliance.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
- S2Tier A SFO enters into €991m Deferred Prosecution Agreement with Airbus as part of a €3.6bn global resolutionSerious Fraud Office. Regulator press release. 31 January 2020.Supports the UK DPA, the five counts, the five countries and the use of agents. It does not state the DPA's expiry.
- S3Tier B Airbus reaches agreements with French, U.K. and U.S. authoritiesAirbus SE. Company statement. 31 January 2020.Company account of the total penalties, the French terms and AFA audits over three years. It is the company's own description.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
- S5Tier A Motion to dismiss the Information, United States v. Airbus SE, Case No. 1:20-cr-00021US Department of Justice (court filing hosted by Miller and Chevalier). Deferred prosecution agreement. 28 July 2023.The government's filing under the DPA stating full compliance and seeking dismissal. It does not show the court's ruling. The filing seeks dismissal with prejudice and has no signed order attached.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
Other claims about Airbus SE
- Outdated77The US Justice Department said in January 2020 that it had charged Airbus with conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provision of the FCPA and that prosecution was deferred under a DPA.Regulator statement, 31 January 20203 records citedCorporate status
- Supported69Airbus said in November 2022 that it agreed a further CJIP with French authorities over past matters related to Libya and Kazakhstan, with a fine of EUR 15,856,044 and no monitorship.Company statement, 30 November 20222 records citedBribery