SAFRAN “VERY CONFIDENT” FOR THE AERONAUTICAL SECTOR
PARIS (Reuters) – The worst of the coronavirus crisis has passed for the aviation sector, despite short-term uncertainties linked to the Omicron variant, said in an interview with Figaro the CEO of Safran, Olivier Andriès, who said he was “very confident”.
The French aeronautical equipment manufacturer should have recorded a double-digit operating margin in 2021 and expects 12,000 hires in 2022, including 3,000 in France, underlines Olivier Andriès.
“This variant (Omicron-Editor’s note) poses short-term uncertainties. But vaccination campaigns are progressing all over the world. I remain optimistic. Every time the borders reopen, passengers flock. The appetite for travel is intact “, says the CEO of Safran, who” retains a hypothesis of a return to the pre-COVID situation by the end of 2022 on the medium-haul market “.
Olivier Andriès cites as the first challenge for Safran in 2022 the need to respond to the increase in production rates decided by Airbus and Boeing, against the backdrop of “supply difficulties” for certain raw materials.
On the Paris Bourse, the Safran share gained 1.70% to 109.5 euros at 9.35 am, signing with Airbus (+ 2.36%) one of the largest increases in the CAC 40 (+ 0.83%).
(Written by Bertrand Boucey, edited by Blandine Hénault)