Sud Aviation (, Southern Aviation) was a French state-owned aircraft manufacturer, originating from the merger of Sud-Est (SNCASE, or Société nationale des constructions aéronautiques du sud-est) and Sud-Ouest (SNCASO or Société nationale des constructions aéronautiques du sud-ouest) on 1 March 1957. Both companies had been formed from smaller privately owned corporations that had been nationalized into six regional design and manufacturing pools just prior to the Second World War. The company became a major manufacturer of helicopters, designing and producing several types which went on to be built in large numbers, including the Alouette II (the first production helicopter powered by a gas turbine engine; first flight in 1955), the Puma (1965) and Gazelle (1967). During 1967, an agreement between the British and French governments arranged for joint production and procurement of the Puma and Gazelle, together with the British Westland Lynx. Sud Aviation also developed the Caravelle, the first jet-powered passenger airliners for the short-medium range market. During 1970, Sud Aviation merged with both Nord Aviation and Société d'études et de réalisation d'engins balistiques (SÉREB) to form the Aérospatiale company. Aérospatiale formed several large-scale international consortia, for example with British Aerospace and Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm to form Airbus; the company ultimately merged into the European aerospace conglomerate EADS in 2000. During January 2014, EADS was reorganised as the Airbus Group. History Sud Aviation became an early innovator in the field of commercial jetliners. Almost two years prior to its formation, on 27 May 1955, the first prototype of the Sud Aviation Caravelle had conducted its maiden flight. The company continued the Caravelle's flight test programme, which received its certificate of airworthiness in May 1959, and it commenced operations with the French flag carrier Air France shortly thereafter. Further orders for the type would be received from various airlines and in four years, 172 Caravelles had been sold. The Carvelle's favourable early sales record was attributed to the Caravelle having effectively no jet-powered rivals, being the only short-haul jetliner for several years following its introduction. Several models of the Caravelle were developed, generally in response to the increasing power of available engines, which allowed progressively higher takeoff weights. By 1963, there were six versions of the Caravelle in production, designated III, VI-N, VI-R, 10A, 10B, and X-BIR. The final assembly line for the Caravelle was at Sud Aviation's factory at Blagnac Airport near Toulouse. Parts of the aircraft were also manufactured at