"Human resources are the lifeblood of war": at the Paris Air Show, the French aviation and space industry focuses on recruitment and training

The Paris Air Show opened its doors Monday at Le Bourget (Seine-Saint-Denis). This is an opportunity for the French industry to step up its employment efforts, with 25,000 new hires expected in 2025.

It is the world's largest aeronautics and space event, held every two years. The 55th Paris Air Show begins Monday, June 16. Around 300,000 visitors are expected throughout the week, professionals only during the first four days, before opening to the general public on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Nearly half of the 2,400 exhibitors present are French, large groups or simple SMEs, and the sector does not seem to be experiencing the crisis .

So far, so good for the French aerospace industry, despite the threat of US tariffs, which could penalize dozens of Boeing suppliers based in France.

Guillaume Faury, president of Airbus and Gifas, which represents the sector's industrialists, seems more concerned about the risks of increased taxation in France in the next finance bill. "We're growing, we're hiring, we're increasing the size of our industrial activity in France," he explains. "This sector is vital for France. When we have something vital, we take care of it and protect it."

The sector, which boasts 222,000 employees, is planning to recruit 25,000 people this year. And the Paris Air Show is the ideal opportunity to reach out to young people, particularly through the Avion des métiers, a gigantic 3,000 m2 space. "Human resources are the lifeblood of the industry, so we need to recruit and train," says Guillaume Bourdeloux, the show's general director . "All of this will be on display at the Avion des métiers, where around twenty careers in the aeronautics and space industries will be presented."

With the aim of further feminizing the sector, around a hundred companies will even participate in a special day on Friday to attract young girls to careers as engineers and technicians.