In late January 2020, Airbus SE (Airbus), the largest aeronautics and space company in Europe, agreed to pay nearly $4 billion and take a number of remedial measures to resolve alleged corruption violations with the French National Financial Prosecutor’s Office, the UK's Serious Fraud Office, and the US Department of Justice and Department of State. The total fine represented the "largest combined anti-corruption settlement to date." The settlement highlighted the importance of companies maintaining strong anti-corruption practices, proper due diligence in their business relationships, and transparent and accurate reporting of their activities. It also underscored the collaboration between multiple countries' law enforcement agencies in addressing cross-border corruption cases.

This case explores what happened with Airbus with a specific focus on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), a United States federal law enacted in 1977. The FCPA's primary purpose was to prevent and combat bribery and unethical practices that could distort international business transactions and undermine fair competition.