GIFAS General Assembly - 9 July 2020

The Ordinary General Assembly of the French Aerospace Industries Association (GIFAS), held today in Paris in the form of a videoconference, reached to the re-election of Mr. Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation, as Chairman of GIFAS.

In his speech, Mr. Eric Trappier began by reminding that the Covid-19 crisis affects the entire aeronautics and space industry. From the very beginning of the health crisis, "the entire industry has been mobilized. As a strategic industry of excellence, we have maintained and fulfilled the sovereignty and defence missions entrusted to us, providing support and backing to the forces engaged in this fight. The aircraft, so decried in recent times, has fulfilled missions as essential as the convoying of the sick and the caretakers and the repatriation of nearly 250,000 of our nationals. The plane has also made it possible to obtain a large number of masks, masks that could not be found until a short while ago."

Mr Eric Trappier also emphasised that GIFAS, together with the ministers and administrations concerned, had drawn up the components of the aeronautics support plan presented on 9 June 2020, adding that "to prepare for the green, digital and connected aircraft, the entire aeronautics industry has been mobilised for many years, in particular through CORAC (the Civil Aeronautics Research Council) to invest massively in R&T and R&D. The most emblematic announcement of the plan is the acceleration of the development of this aircraft from 2035 instead of 2050, with significant financial support: €1.5 billion over the next three years. "

To date, the number of GIFAS members amounts to 412 companies.

Also noteworthy:

• Mr. Martin Sion, President of Safran Electronics & Defense, was elected Chairman of the GEAD.
• Mr. Didier Kayat, CEO of Daher and Mr. Emmanuel Viellard, Chairman and CEO of Lisi Aerospace, were elected Vice-Chairmen of the GEAD.
• Mr. Christophe Cador, Chairman and CEO of Satys, was re-elected Chairman and Treasurer of the GIFAS Aero-SME Committee.
• Mr. Patrick Daher, Chairman of the Daher Group, retains his position as General Commissioner of the Paris Air Show - Le Bourget.