Plane Maker Airbus Joins Hyperledger Blockchain Project

French airplane manufacturer Airbus has officially joined the Hyperledger Project, the Linux Foundation-led blockchain initiative.

The Toulouse-based manufacturer, which last year beat Boeing to sell more than 1,000 aircraft, is expected to “actively contribute” to the initiative, which also counts companies such as IBM, Intel and JPMorgan among its membership.

Airbus, founded in 1970, manufactures and sells the world's largest passenger plane, the A380.

Hyperledger executive director Brian Behlendorf said the inclusion of Airbus shows that the technology has applications beyond finance and healthcare, going on to remark:

"A key factor to the project’s success will be member expertise and guidance, and as such, I look forward to collaborating with the bright team at Airbus to drive this technology forward."

According to the project's GitHub page, two Airbus employees currently work on one of its subcommittees. Correspondence on the Hyperledger mailing list suggests that the company has an internal Emerging Technologies and Concepts working group that is exploring the technology.

Airbus did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The announcement reflects what appears to be the airline industry’s increasing interest in blockchain technology. In May, blockchain startup ShoCard partnered with airline IT firm SITA to develop applications around identity management.

Launched last year, the Hyperledger Project counts roughly 80 members among its community of established businesses and startups, not all of which have been publicly announced, managed by the Linux Foundation.

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