Aerospace and defence drive French exports and profits

18/06/11 By Dan Thisdell SOURCE:Flight International

Aerospace, defence, electronics and security is France's leading industry sector in exports and profit, contributing some €18 billion ($26 billion) to the country's balance of trade, according to industry association Gifas.

And, says Gifas chairman Jean-Paul Herteman: "On the employment front, despite the economic crisis we took on 8,000 workers in 2010, raising the total workforce to 157,000, and have recruited 27,000 people since 2008."

In 2010, industry revenue rose by 3.5% to €36.8 billion, with 73% of that being exports, thanks largely to civil business. Air transport led a 27% rise to €42.9 billion in the French industry order book, with the civil sector accounting for 71% of orders. For the seventeenth consecutive year, orders exceeded revenues and now stand at four years' output.

For equipment manufacturers, says Herteman, "the recovery started to take shape in 2010". Revenues were down 4.8% at €9.2 billion, but a 34% increase in orders, driven by the civil aviation sector, "bodes well for the sector as a whole", adds Herteman.

In the space industry, revenue edged down slightly to €4.2 billion.