U.S., June 25 -- Airbus is saddened that one of its founding fathers, Roger Beteille, who not only shaped Airbus' first commercial aircraft - the A300B - but also Airbus Industrie, passed away on 14 June at the age of 97.

Born in Aveyron, France, in 1921, Roger Beteille studied at Supaero in Toulouse before joining France's SNCASE, which later became Sud Aviation, in 1943. He received his pilot's licence in 1945, becoming thereafter flight test engineer in 1952. He was part of the flight test team on the Caravelle's first flight.

In July 1967, the idea to develop a 300-seater all new wide-body twinjet was progressing and Mr Beteille was appointed chief engineer for the A300 programme at Sud Aviation. It soon became clear that launch cus...