2024: The Airbus Foundation’s year in review

In a crisis, or in the wake of a disaster, getting vital supplies like food or medical equipment where they are needed requires careful logistical planning. It also relies on a way to deliver these much needed materials. This is one of the missions undertaken by the Airbus Foundation, providing access to Airbus products such as aircraft, helicopters and satellite imagery to address critical instability in places like Burkina Faso and Sudan, or flooding in Kenya and Brazil.

These are just some of the activities featured in the Airbus Foundation’s 2024 highlights, released today. The highlights provide an overview of the key partnerships the Foundation has nurtured, the missions it has undertaken, and the milestones it has reached during the year.

Let’s take a look at some of the Foundation’s achievements from 2024.

2024: key highlights from an eventful year

In the face of global issues like climate change, poverty and increasing inequality, the Airbus Foundation supports affected communities with solutions they can own, that are scalable and deliver a long-term benefit. The Foundation builds on the strengths that are unique to Airbus, unlocking access to Airbus’ portfolio of high-tech products and services, as well as the expertise of its talented and conscientious employees.

In 2024, the Foundation’s partners undertook critical humanitarian flights and helicopter missions in order to deliver essential aid to communities affected by conflict and disaster. Nine humanitarian flights transported 227 tonnes of essential aid, and a further eight helicopter missions provided support to remote areas. A new four-year partnership agreement with Airlink was signed in December 2024, and has already led to five missions so far addressing major humanitarian crises in Sudan and Myanmar.

Satellite imagery remains a powerful tool that can inform timely and critical decision making in the face of a crisis. In 2024, the Foundation provided around 48,000 km² of imagery spanning 21 countries to six humanitarian partners.

Alongside humanitarian activities, the Foundation also maintained its focus on environmental action, leveraging aerospace technologies to enable innovation, supporting frontline organisations who work to strengthen climate resilience and promote conservation efforts. Key partnerships with the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Connected Conservation Foundation continued to support the regeneration of habitats. The Satellites for Biodiversity Awards, launched in 2022, provided satellite imagery to a new selection of projects that tackle biodiversity loss to drive forward species conservation and promote the peaceful coexistence of humans and wildlife.

Finally, 2024 also saw a refocusing of the Foundation’s youth activities to empower the pioneers of tomorrow through quality educational content. Several new pieces of content addressed the need for young people to be equipped with critical-thinking skills and digital literacy, including the ‘Between Teenagers’ video series and the ‘fAIr enough’ web application on artificial intelligence. The resources were created in alignment with leading science networks, tailored to meet the requirements of educators worldwide.

You can read more about the Foundation’s 2024 activities in the Airbus Foundation 2024 Highlights or watch the highlight video below to view some of the key achievements from last year.

2025: New Board members, future initiatives

In March 2025, the Airbus Foundation appointed two new members to its Board. Carmen-Maja Rex, Airbus’ new Chief Human Resources Officer, takes over from her predecessor, Thierry Baril, who served on the Board of the Airbus Foundation in the same capacity. Thierry Baril was the Foundation’s longest-serving director, and was a passionate supporter of many of the Foundation’s youth programmes over the years, such as the Flying Challenge, where students learnt the fundamentals of engineering. The Board is extremely grateful to him for his many years of service.

It is a privilege to join the Airbus Foundation Board and actively contribute to its impactful work, which clearly reflects Airbus’ deep commitment to fostering positive social value. I am particularly inspired by the Foundation’s dedication to empowering young people, equipping them with the essential skills and perspectives needed to thrive in an evolving world. Developing robust educational resources to tackle critical contemporary challenges such as artificial intelligence and disinformation is paramount in nurturing the informed, resilient, and responsible global citizens of tomorrow.

Carmen-Maja Rex, Chief HR Officer

The Board is also privileged to welcome Dr Valerie Nkamgang Bemo. Dr Bemo currently serves as Deputy Director, Global Development - Emergency Response at the Gates Foundation, and brings a wealth of experience from a 20-year career as an international development practitioner, working with communities, governments, local and international organisations to strengthen systems, and empower leaders to create lasting social change.

Looking to the rest of 2025 and beyond, the Foundation plans to expand its capacity to react to the evolving humanitarian landscape, broaden its efforts to address more environmental projects, and continue to empower young people with the knowledge and skills to become informed global citizens. Watch this space!