PARIS—Jean Pierson, the “Bear of the Pyrenees” who propelled planemaker Airbus onto the global stage and began its transformation from a loose consortium into a European giant, has died, former colleagues said on Thursday. Pierson died on Wednesday aged 80 in France, they said. The Frenchman was Airbus’ longest-serving chief executive, between 1985 and 1998, and was credited with breaking into Boeing’s home market in the United States, kickstarting one of the world’s greatest business rivalries. “He was a great personality and leader. He brought Airbus from a startup to compete head-to-head with Boeing,” said former spokeswoman Barbara Kracht, whose father co-founded Airbus. A burly and voracious dealmaker who grew up outside the narrow Parisian-educated circle that dominated the French industry, Pierson strode factory floors, and exhorted sales teams to take on Boeing on its home turf despite executives’ initial wariness. In 1997, he landed a breakthrough order for 400 …