Bernard Lathiere

Bernard Lathière was a French civil servant and aerospace executive, best known for succeeding Henri Ziegler in the role of Managing Director of the Airbus GIE. Born in 1929 in Calcutta, India, he graduated from the École Nationale d'Administration (ENA) in 1954. He began his career in the French Treasury, later serving as an advisor to government ministers.

In the late 1960s he occupied a series of high profile roles in French aviation, first as the head of the French Civil Aviation Authority (SGAC) from 1968 to 1974, whilst in parallel taking on the role of Administrator in Sud Aviation and later as a member of the supervisory board of SNIAS (later renamed Aerospatiale). He was a central figure in the negotiations to create the Airbus consortium.

Lathière championed a bold and innovative sales strategy. Initial success came with the order of the A300 by Indian Airlines which was followed by a breakthrough order in 1978 from Eastern Air Lines in the United States, a pivotal moment for Airbus. This deal helped establish the consortium's credibility and opened the door to the global market. Under his leadership the A300 would evolve into a family of aircraft with the launch of the A310 in 1978 and the A300-600 taking to the skies in 1983. He is also responsible for the decision to launch the A320 programme which laid the foundations for the company's future success and growth. 

He stepped down as Managing Director of the GIE in 1985. He went on to serve as president of ADP (Aéroports de Paris) retiring in 1992. He passed away on June 27, 1997 in Paris.