Airbus was founded in 1970 by aviation pioneers from France, Germany and Spain. It is headquartered in Toulouse, France and is a global leader in the aerospace industry. Airbus developed the A300, its first commercial aircraft, in the 1970s. It has since expanded its product line and built manufacturing facilities across Europe and in China and the United States. Airbus transports large aircraft sections between factories using a dedicated fleet of cargo planes called Beluga as well as sea transportation.