The French government, through its investment bank Bpifrance, has recently invested in the newly created Ace Aéro Partenaires fund, which aims to support French SMEs in the aviation industry that have been badly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent drop in aircraft deliveries. 630 million Euros have been raised so far, with the French State (through Bpifrance) contributing 150 million Euros, Bpifrance (from its own funds) 50 million Euros, the “big four” French manufacturers (Airbus, Safran, Dassault and Thales) 200 million Euros, and the fund manager, Tikehau, the remaining 230 million Euros.

The investment is part of the French government’s 15 billion Euro plan to revive and transform the sector in three steps:

  1. providing emergency relief to the industry and its workforce, through export credits, government orders and emergency funding;
  2. investing in SMEs and the technological transformation of French aviation; and
  3. investing in R&D to design and build tomorrow’s aircraft.

Continue Reading Investing in the future: France’s bet on the aviation industry