Hundreds of thousands work in the aviation industry in France. The corona pandemic has virtually brought air traffic to a standstill. The industry is facing an unprecedented crisis. Paris is now digging very deeply to save its "national pride".
Paris (dpa) - France wants to support its aviation industry, which has been in severe crisis because of Corona, with a € 15 billion rescue package.
"So this morning we are calling for a state of emergency to save our aviation industry," said Economics and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire on Tuesday. 100,000 jobs are at risk in the coming months. "100,000 jobs that could disappear if we don't act now," warned the minister. Aid to the battered industry also has ambitious plans for greener aircraft.
After € 8 billion for the car industry and € 18 billion for the tourism industry, it is now the turn of the aviation industry in France. "It is a national pride and one of our nation's greatest industrial successes in the 20th century," said the minister. In the past decades it has grown continuously, Airbus' order books have been filled. Around 48,000 people work for the aerospace group with its control center in Toulouse alone. The minister said that 300,000 direct and indirect jobs are going across the industry.
"The crisis has brought this growth to an abrupt halt," said Le Maire. Aviation is expected to return to the December 2019 level in two or three years. "We have to save our aviation industry."
Air France has already announced seven billion euros in loan assistance in the 15 billion euro plan. The government also decided to grant airlines a twelve-month moratorium on the repayment of their export credits. This is worth 1.5 billion euros.
Over the next three years, 1.5 billion euros will also be invested in research and development in environmentally friendly technologies. The goal is a carbon-neutral aircraft by 2035. Le Maire said the next generations of commercial aircraft, helicopters and business aircraft would be developed.
They are equipped with new drive systems and would emit less CO2. "What is at stake is Europe's place in world industry in the coming century," warned the minister. It would not allow the global aviation market to be divided between China and the United States, France and Europe would remain there.
It is the first time that industrial giants such as Airbus, Safran, Dassault Aviation and Thalès have agreed to pool funds to support the French industrial structure.
Small and medium-sized air carriers are also to be modernized to be more competitive. They are lagging behind in digitization and do not want to fall behind Germany or Italy.
Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury had previously spoken of an existential threat to the industry in the face of the corona crisis and its consequences. The situation of the suppliers is also a major issue. Éric Trappier, head of Dassault Aviation and chairman of the French industry association GIFAS, had spoken of around 400 suppliers who were affected.
