Airbus explores sale of US space business amid European merger plans

Airbus is exploring a sale of its US space business as the planemaker focuses on building a pan-European satellite champion through a three-way merger, Report informs, citing the Financial Times.

The company is gauging interest from prospective buyers for its US operations, which include a Florida manufacturing facility and the Arrow family of small satellites serving commercial and government needs. Airbus previously took full control of the Airbus OneWeb Satellites joint venture in 2024, though it has since been shifting production back to Europe, building hundreds of low Earth orbit satellites in Toulouse.

The potential divestment underscores Airbus's efforts to restructure its struggling space business, following EUR 989 million in charges booked in 2024. In October, Airbus partnered with Italy's Leonardo and France's Thales on a deal codenamed Bromo to combine their space activities and better compete with US rivals like SpaceX and Chinese competitors.

The three European companies aim to submit the plan to Brussels antitrust authorities to make the new venture operational in 2027.