Space job cuts: Thales has redeployed 70% of its employees in France

During the general meeting, the group's CEO, Patrice Caine, clarified that he was using the same mechanism as during Covid, when aeronautical engineers were redeployed to defense " while waiting for the sector to improve ."

To date, "we have found solutions for 67% of positions" in the space sector in France, Clément de Villepin, director of human resources at Thales, told AFP.

" A large part is being redeployed within the group, mainly in our defense activities, but also in our aeronautics activities ," he said.

Faced with the telecommunications satellite crisis, Thales announced in March 2024 the elimination of 1,300 jobs in its space division, Thales Alenia Space (TAS). The other heavyweight in the sector, Airbus, plans to eliminate more than 2,000 jobs in its defense and space activities.

"I don't think we're wasting expertise. There are a certain number of software engineers who can be transferred very quickly. There are others for whom we have many support plans to move them to other professions. We're enriching them because these specialists can be redeployed back into the space sector " the day they're needed, Clément de Villepin emphasized.

Thales provides an update " every three months on the progress of the plan, which we also adapt to external demand ," he added. Questioned by shareholders, Patrice Caine explained the crisis by the decline of satellite television " which has been cannibalized by the arrival of boxing ," but especially by Elon Musk's Starlink, which offers " extremely competitive and easy " connectivity for the customer.

The situation could improve with the deployment of the European constellation of Iris² telecommunications satellites, decided by the European Commission in December and planned for 2030, Patrice Caine estimated.

This constellation " will allow us to maintain these skills and the business. There are also military satellites, these are much more specific markets, but also important ones that also allow us to continue in this activity ," he concluded.