The remuneration of the CEO of Airbus regularly comes up in public debate, often reduced to a gross amount thrown into the fray. The group’s annual reports provide a more nuanced view: fixed salary, bonuses conditioned on specific criteria, performance shares subject to caps. Understanding what Guillaume Faury actually receives requires breaking down each layer of this remuneration and comparing it to Airbus’s financial results.
Fixed and variable remuneration of Guillaume Faury: the declared amounts
During the 2023-2025 period, the fixed salary of the CEO of Airbus has remained stable. It constitutes only a minority part of the total package.
The remuneration policy, voted on at the general assembly, frames each component. The annual bonus is subject to a cap defined in the notice of the 2024 General Assembly. This cap limits the growth of the overall package, even when the group’s results exceed expectations. A detailed analysis of Guillaume Faury’s salary at Airbus allows us to measure the gap between the displayed fixed amount and the actual remuneration.
The variable part is based on financial criteria, mainly EBIT and free cash flow, supplemented by sustainability criteria. The bonus does not function as a simple multiplier of profits.
Cap on the variable part at Airbus: what it changes in total remuneration
The capping mechanism, rarely mentioned in comparisons between the CEO’s salary and Airbus’s record profits, alters the reading of the package. The 2023-2025 policy sets a cap on the annual variable remuneration of the CEO.
| Component | Mechanism | Performance Sensitivity |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed Salary | Stable amount for 2023-2025 | None |
| Annual Bonus | Capped, indexed on EBIT and free cash flow | Limited by the cap |
| Performance Shares | Multi-year cycles, Airbus stock price | High (can amplify or reduce the total) |
Even if EBIT and free cash flow significantly exceed targets, the bonus cannot grow indefinitely. The most marked increases in total remuneration come from performance shares, not from the annual variable.
These shares, awarded over several fiscal years, depend both on the Airbus stock price and on performance criteria measured over time. The cap on the bonus contains the most visible part of the package, while long-term instruments fluctuate with the markets.
Three levels of reading to distinguish
- The fixed part remains constant and does not reflect either the performance or the situation of the group.
- The capped annual bonus primarily depends on financial criteria (EBIT and free cash flow) and to a minor extent on ESG criteria: it can vary from year to year, but within a bounded range.
- Performance shares are the real amplification lever. Their value depends on the Airbus stock price at the time of their final acquisition, which can significantly multiply or reduce the total package.
CEO salary at Airbus compared to CAC 40 executives
The ratio between the CEO’s remuneration and the median salary of Airbus employees raises a structural question. The package is not only read as an absolute amount: it functions as an indicator of value sharing within the group.
What the European directive 2023/970 will change
The directive on pay transparency, applicable in all member states by June 2026 at the latest, requires companies with more than 250 employees to publish detailed indicators on pay gaps. Airbus will have to report salary ranges, including for management positions.
The obligation goes beyond the simple publication of executive packages, already available in annual reports. It incorporates a reversal of the burden of proof in case of disputes over pay equality: in the face of an unjustified gap, it is up to the employer to prove the absence of discrimination.
For Airbus, Guillaume Faury’s remuneration will therefore be examined not only during the advisory vote of shareholders (say on pay), but also in light of the internal gaps documented by this directive.
ESG criteria and executive remuneration: the Airbus case as a laboratory
Integrating sustainability criteria into the CEO’s bonus goes beyond mere display. The 2024 general assembly document details the selected indicators. Each is subject to a quantified measurement, with a minimum threshold below which no allocation is triggered.
This mechanism creates a direct dependency between Airbus’s environmental trajectory and the remuneration of its leader. When sustainability objectives are not met, the CEO’s annual bonus is mechanically reduced by the ESG portion. The system operates in a graduated manner according to the level of achievement, not in an all-or-nothing fashion.
The question of calibrating these objectives remains open. A threshold that is too low would render the ESG component almost automatic. An ambitious threshold would make it a true management lever. Airbus’s annual reports publish achievement rates, allowing verification of whether these criteria function as a governance tool or as a decorative element.
Read through Airbus’s official documents, Guillaume Faury’s salary is organized in three tiers: a fixed part that counts little, a variable part capped by a ceiling, and performance shares that absorb most of the volatility. With the European directive on pay transparency and its more granular publications, this salary architecture will become readable by a much broader audience than just institutional investors.