All roads lead to Le Bourget

By Sangeeta Saxena
Paris. 18 June 2017. You’ll never go so far, just six kilometres from Paris and for the next one week all roads from Paris will lead to the queen of all shows- the International Paris Air Show where one and all of the aviation world descend at the airport. It is not just French wine, Eiffel Tower and Seine River which are cynosure of all eyes in Paris. Come the Parisian summer and the sky is the centre of attraction with metal birds of all shapes and sizes regaling the city with their displays.

With expected 2,300 international exhibitors, 150,000 trade visitors, 30 national pavilions and almost 300 official delegations, the Paris Air Show is still the biggest show of its kind and a must-attend event for all professionals working in the aeronautics and space sector. All major manufacturers , complete spare parts and ancillary industry, 100 start-ups that will shape tomorrow’s skies will and 296 official military and civilian delegations promise to make the show the brand it is.

The International Paris Air Show is organised by the SIAE, a subsidiary of GIFAS, the French Aerospace Industries Association. The 52nd show will take place at the Le Bourget Parc des Expositions from 19 to 25 June 2017, and once again will bring together all the players in this global industry around the latest technological innovations. The first four days of the Show will be reserved for trade visitors, followed by three days open to the general public.
Industry at it’s maximum participation envisages Boeing, Finmeccanica, SAFRAN, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems, SAAB, Honeywell, Airbus, Rosoboronexport, Sukhoi, MBDA, Bombardier, Embraer, RUAG, KAI, Pilatus, Dassault, Hawker Beechcraft, CFM, Rolls Royce, Israeli Companies, SirkoskyLM, Cobham, Goodrich and Eurocopter to name a few along with government agencies taking up sprawling spaces at the show.

At the heart of the Paris Air Show, Concorde Hall will host the first edition of Paris Air Lab, which is 3000 square meters dedicated to research and innovation. Featuring collaborative work from industrial groups, companies, and start-ups from aeronautics and aerospace, and conference debates on the future of the field, international start-up pitches, immersive experiences and more, the Paris Air Lab has something for everyone. Participants can explore 22 booths dedicated to innovation, aeronautics, aerospace and digital technology, or follow suggested thematic paths throughout the event.

The Paris Air Lab has two conference rooms for keynote speakers and pitch sessions, five virtual reality booths, a “future vehicles” booth, and “Earth seen from above” photo exhibition. The Paris Air Lab also offers several co-working and relaxation spaces so participants can take time to enjoy the experience. From artificial intelligence to jet propulsion, nearly 100 startups will be featured throughout the week, as well as more than a dozen industrial associations, space agencies, and research centres, who will work together to present their latest collaborative innovations.

GIFAS (French Aerospace Industries Association) is offering an area dedicated to careers, employment and training in the aerospace industry, air transport and national defence. The Careers Plane-Job and Training Forum provide an occasion to discover this cutting-edge industry hands-on, and talk to the men and women who work in the aerospace sector each day.

With the theme "Journey to the heart of excellence", the 2017 edition is providing in a 3,000 m² marquee an instructive and immersive circuit laid out. There are two complementary areas in the show. The Careers Plane: an area for demonstration and dialogue coordinated by professionals in the sector and The Jobs and Training Forum: a space for meeting recruitment managers from companies and training schools.

With its central island offering immersive videos on the aerospace trades, the Careers plane is a place for visitors to meet men and women who work in the aerospace sector every day. A unique opportunity to meet those who design, produce, sell and maintain aircraft, and to see and touch the final product, from engines and helicopter propeller blades to aeroplane seats and altimeters.

The Careers Plane is divided into three thematic areas: Design, Industrialisation and Production and Support, Marketing and Maintenance, with nearly 800 professionals taking turns throughout the week to introduce visitors to the aerospace job chain. All in all, some 40 different trades will be presented, illustrating the sector's diversity, in two different ways:

Through demonstrations, where participants can see professionals in almost real-life situations, and sometimes try the tools themselves. Through short talks in small groups of ten or so, where speakers talk about their careers, their everyday professional life and projects on which they have worked.
Visitors will be able to meet flight test engineer, industrial project manager, laminater-fitter and foundry operator in turn. You can find the list of all the trades and companies represented at the Careers Plane in the computer graphics in the right column. If they want to go further, visitors can find information at the Jobs and Training Forum about training courses or job vacancies in the trades that interest them.

The leading trade show for jobs and training in the aerospace sector, the Jobs and Training Forum is a meeting point for companies, education institutions, associations and the general public: an opportunity to discover the sector's highly-sought after profiles and skills requirements, and the trades of the future. Both a recruitment forum and a career counselling show, the Jobs and Training Forum is there to help young people to choose their careers, students to look for a training course or apprenticeship, young graduates to find their first job, and experienced professionals to broaden their horizons. Good opportunity to bring your CV!

Just at the entry/exit to the show is the Air and Space museum is one of the top aviation museums in the world with more than 40,000 items it has started to collect since the early 20th century, the museum is protected by the “Musée de France” status. Visitors can discover about a hundred aircrafts among the 400 composing its collections, from the very first planes to the Breguet 19 “Point d’interrogation”, the Spitfire and the Concorde. The museum also owns an exceptional art collection, models, engraving, toys, and ethnographic items.The place the Air and Space museum has been built on is very important and full of memory. Le Bourget is a place that has seen many aviation heroes, including Charles Lindbergh.