The claim described an earlier position that has since changed.
The 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.
- 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
- 77 How it was scored
- Last reviewed
- 25 October 2026
Why this label
The 2020 release described a criminal information filed on 28 January 2020 and held in abeyance under a DPAS1. That position changed. On 28 July 2023 the department filed a motion in the US District Court for the District of Columbia saying Airbus had fully complied with all of its obligations under the DPA and asking the court to dismiss the information with prejudiceS5. The French agreement of 2020 was set for three years with discontinuance on compliance, according to AirbusS3. We searched the DOJ case pageS6, the Stanford FCPA Clearinghouse and court docket indexes for the order. None of the public records we could open shows whether or when the court granted the motion. The government's own position is clear, but the grant and its date remain unverified.
Current procedural position
Deferred prosecution agreement of 31 January 2020S1. Motion to dismiss with prejudice filed on 28 July 2023 in case 1:20-cr-00021S5. The court's ruling and its date were not found in any public record we could open as of 25 October 2026S6.
Record supporting the assessment
Because Airbus has fully complied with all of its obligations under the DPA
hereby moves to dismiss the Information filed in the above-captioned case
Conflicting or limiting record
Airbus entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the department
Evidence score: 77 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? | 27 | 30 | A DOJ court filing is competent to state the government's position on compliance. |
| DirectnessDoes the source state the proposition or only discuss adjacent facts? | 18 | 20 | The filing states full compliance and the request to dismiss. |
| CorroborationDo independent records support the same material point? | 7 | 15 | Airbus statements on the three year terms agree, but no court order or docket entry was found. |
| Procedural accuracyDoes the record settle the procedural state the claim describes? | 9 | 15 | A government motion to dismiss after compliance. The grant is unverified. |
| CurrencyHas the record been checked against later developments? | 8 | 10 | Searched for a 2023 order and any later revival. Neither was found. |
| ReproducibilityCan a reader locate the passage and repeat the assessment? | 8 | 10 | The filing is public as a PDF hosted by a law firm. |
| Total | 77 | 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.
Revision history
- Assessment first published with label Outdated.
Have a record that changes this assessment? See corrections and responses.
Sources
- 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
- 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
- S6Tier A Airbus SEUS Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Fraud Section. Government press release. Last updated 11 August 2023.FCPA case page giving docket 20-CR-00021 in the District of Columbia, filed 28 January 2020, with the information and DPA. It posts no motion or order on dismissal.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
- 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
Other claims about Airbus SE
- Supported91The 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.Regulator statement, 31 January 20203 records citedBribery
- 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