Airbus Moving Critical Systems Away From AWS, Google, and Microsoft Citing Data Sovereignty Concerns (theregister.com)
- Reference: 0180425985
- News link: https://slashdot.org/story/25/12/19/2252254/airbus-moving-critical-systems-away-from-aws-google-and-microsoft-citing-data-sovereignty-concerns
- Source link: https://www.theregister.com/2025/12/19/airbus_sovereign_cloud/
> The driver is access to new software. Vendors like SAP are developing innovations exclusively in the cloud, pushing customers toward platforms like S/4HANA. The request for proposals launches in early January, with a decision expected before summer. The contract -- understood to be worth more than 50 million euros -- will be long term (up to ten years), with price predictability over the period. [...] Jestin is waiting for European regulators to clarify whether Airbus would truly be "immune to extraterritorial laws" -- and whether services could be interrupted.
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> The concern isn't theoretical. Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Karim Khan reportedly lost access to his Microsoft email after Trump sanctioned him for criticizing Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, though Microsoft denies suspending ICC services. Beyond US complications, Jestin questions whether European cloud providers have sufficient scale. "If you asked me today if we'll find a solution, I'd say 80/20."
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2025/12/19/airbus_sovereign_cloud/
Boeing peekaboo? (Score:2)
In an effort to improve commercial planes, an U.S. cloud provider could be made to share their "backups" with a certain U.S. plane manufacturer (which has fallen on harder times times lately, regarding production quality and public perception), by the current U.S. administration.
At least, that is what AirBus is probably thinking, giving the tone in the quotes from the summary.
Re:Boeing peekaboo? (Score:5, Insightful)
I don't think the concern is the plane manufacturer.
Frankly, I don't think Boeing or Airbus seek to copy much of anything from each other (except maybe the neo/MAX engine moves).
Boeing doesn't use Airbus style avionics, and Airbus has nothing like the 787.
Competition at the mid-sized plane level (A320/737) is mostly focusing on obvious things- like larger turbofans, being moved further forward.
The Boeing solution for that is based on entirely different theory than the Airbus solution to it- in the Airbus, you're never really flying the plane directly anyway, so it's a simple avionics software update. For the Boeing, you are in direct control of the craft, so it has to have extra systems that handle the trim for that particular change. Really nothing to copy.
I think the concern is more so Airbus' customers that Airbus retains data over. Those customers would probably prefer that such data be under European data rules.
Re:Boeing peekaboo? (Score:4, Interesting)
It's a matter of trust, and the trust relationship between the US and EU, as well as the UK, is breaking fast.
Worse, all of US cloud vendors have shown a lack of safety, outages, missteps, and uptime in 2025. As these entities are largely immune from prosecution in the US, it's better to have someone close at hand, whose neck you can wring with actual authority.
I'm an American, and I don't trust these jokers, either. Big does not make better. The bleeding edge requires bandages, especially with AI infections becoming prominent.
Re: (Score:2)
At this point having an economic relationship with the territory of trumpistan is a larger risk than the risk of "suffering high tariffs" from the tariff king. Have you seen the "AI" bubble size? It is the largest and the fastest that we've seen, dwarfing the 2007-08 bubble with even less to show for in terms of returns.
What do you think will happen if your country isn't well-isolated from it when it bursts in a few months?
Better late than never (Score:2)
At least one good thing coming out of the Trump presidency: Europe finally waking up in this regard.
Re: (Score:1)
You really think this is a "Oh shit, Trump!" reaction?
These concerns have been swirling about for decades. Why do you think Europe have been implementing so many laws about digital sovereignty and data rights over the past decade or so.
AWS (Score:3)
AWS just launched an European sovereign cloud region in Germany: [1]https://aws.eu/ [aws.eu]
They are moving there.
[1] https://aws.eu/
Re: AWS (Score:3)
This is a marketing stunt from AWS. They still are an U.S. based company and are still subject to U.S. law. E.U. data isn't safe there.
Re: (Score:3)
Your data isn't really "safe" with any of the large cloud providers. If "the man" wants your data, they'll get it.
Re: (Score:2)
Yes. But Airbus will be ensuring "the man" is the European one.
Re: AWS (Score:4, Interesting)
Couldn't they run the EU data centers in some independent LLC HQ'ed somewhere in Europe?
You would that they could structure this somehow so it would be independent of the US regulatory framework.
Re: AWS (Score:4, Informative)
That's exactly what they're doing.
Re: (Score:1)
That is not what matters. What matters is whether there is a system administration possibility from the US. And there will be. Nothing except running this as a genuine European company will do and AWS/Microsoft/Google cannot really do that, since all respective R&D would also need to be European for this to actually work.
Re: (Score:2)
The problem is AWS is still a US company.. so even if the Data RESIDES in europe... they still have to deal with the fact that a US based company is stll subject to the whims of the dictatorial demands of the US goverment (especially THIS administration).. Personally every company (at least every non-US company) should divest themselves of any US resources... It would bolster Europe's own economy, and no longer subject to the foolishness that is the US government. (the days of abiding by agreements and law
Re: AWS (Score:4, Insightful)
Obviously. This is a move away from US companies. Geolocation of clouds does not matter. What laws and coercions the provider is subject to is what matters.
nice, but also stupid (Score:1)
This is the playbook again and again and fucking again. Step 1 - the US is a reliable resource that the world depends on. Step 2 - the US government decides that it would rather bend the rules for its benefit. Whether it means stealing money from Venezuela's government and give it to some random guy living in Miami, or whether it means forcing US companies operating cloud facilities overseas to make their subsidiaries comply with US demands to turn over data. Step 3 - the rest of the world decides that this
Re: (Score:2)
> Is it asking too fucking much for the US to look into the future 5-10 years and NOT do stupid ass selfish shit that will be ultimately meaningless anyway?
Is it too much to ask of the billionaire class of trumpistan, which runs the country, to look beyond the current deal that's on the table and NOT do stupid ass selfish shit that will be ultimately meaningless anyway?
What do you think?