Airbus has selected the French company Scaleway as its cloud provider for its most sensitive IT systems. The first phase will cover around 70 applications currently running on Amazon Web Services. The migration is due to be completed by the end of 2028, and the entire programme could, within five or six years, cover as many as 900 applications deemed critical to the group’s operations.
Among other things, ERP systems, production support software, CRM solutions and product lifecycle management tools are to be moved to Scaleway. These are applications needed to maintain the company’s core operations in the event of an emergency.
Airbus assessed over 150 technical and regulatory requirements. According to Catherine Jestin, Airbus’s Chief Digital Officer, Scaleway presented a competitive technical and financial proposal and agreed to take the aircraft manufacturer’s needs into account when developing its services. European jurisdiction and the reduction of risks arising from foreign data access regulations were also key factors.
However, the decision does not signify a complete move away from US providers. AWS will continue to support the Skywise platform, which collects and analyses aviation data, as well as the system supporting the handling of customers’ technical enquiries. Airbus also remains a user of services provided by Microsoft, Google, Salesforce, Coupa and Workday. The choice of provider will depend primarily on the sensitivity of the data and the importance of the specific system.
The agreement is part of a wider trend towards strengthening European digital sovereignty. It is also significant for the development of artificial intelligence at Airbus. Models from the French company Mistral are already available on the Scaleway infrastructure, which may facilitate the implementation of AI solutions in aerospace and defence projects.
The key takeaway is a practical one: Airbus is not abandoning the multi-cloud model, but is segmenting its systems according to risk level. The most sensitive data is to remain under European control, whilst other services will continue to be hosted by global providers.
