During an aviation event in Frankfurt on November 14, 2024, Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury expressed concerns over the business model of SpaceX, stating that the company would likely not meet Europe's stringent anti-trust regulations if it were to operate within the European Union. Faury highlighted the concentrated nature of SpaceX's operations, which span from manufacturing rockets to deploying and managing its Starlink satellite constellation. This vertically integrated model, he argued, contrasts sharply with the more distributed and collaborative approach typically seen in European aerospace projects.
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SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, has revolutionized the space industry with its Falcon 9 rocket, significantly reducing launch costs through reusability, and has expanded its portfolio with the Starlink project, which now includes nearly 7,000 satellites in orbit. This rapid expansion and the company's control over the entire supply chain from production to service delivery raise anti-trust flags in regions like Europe, where industrial policies often require a more balanced distribution of work among member countries. Faury pointed out that in Europe, companies like Airbus are bound by regulations that prevent such vertical integration. "In Europe, we tend to do the opposite. We make 20%, we buy 80%. And by buying 80%, you have a large supply base which is pleasing everybody," he explained. This model ensures that various countries contributing to projects like Ariane, Europe's flagship launcher, receive a share of the work, promoting regional economic balance and cooperation.
Despite his critique, Faury acknowledged SpaceX's achievements as "amazing," but he emphasized the necessity for Europe to adapt its own strategies to remain competitive. The Airbus CEO's comments come at a time when Airbus and other European manufacturers face challenges from SpaceX's aggressive pricing and rapid deployment capabilities.
Airbus, a major player in both commercial and defense aerospace, has been restructuring its space division to address these market dynamics, including cutting jobs in loss-making satellite projects. Faury's remarks underscore the broader European concern about maintaining strategic autonomy in space technology, especially as SpaceX continues to dominate commercial launches and satellite internet services. This situation prompts a reevaluation of how Europe might structure its space industry to counterbalance the influence of such a formidable competitor.