The government wants to avert an existential threat.

“The aviation industry is our national pride”, this is how Economics and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire presented the rescue package in Paris. The French government is therefore helping the industry with 15 billion euros. This is to avert an "existential threat" from the corona pandemic.

How important this industry is for France can be visualized with the help of numbers. Because almost 200.000 people are employed in this area, as reported by handelsblatt.com. 48.000 alone at Airbus, the largest aircraft manufacturer in the world. The state aid is also intended to ensure that domestic companies can keep up with their competitors.