The 2005 Paris Air Show is ending today. We talked to Jean-Paul Béchat, Chairman of the Executive Board of SAFRAN, who reviews this year's exceptional event and the highlights for SAFRAN, in the spotlight at "Le Bourget".

What would you consider the highlights this year for the SAFRAN group?

This was an exceptional year, with demonstration flights of the A380 and the Falcon 7X, the return of the Americans, and more. As for us, I believe that SAFRAN really marked "Le Bourget" this year. We had stands all over, inside the main hall with the other engine manufacturers, with equipment manufacturers in that hall, and outside, with our defense and security businesses. We were in the news as well. All of our visitors, from the French President, the Prime Minister and other members of the government, to all of our customers and partners, were very much aware of the existence of this new group, and they couldn't help being aware of our pivotal role on the European and global aerospace stage.

I would also like to mention two very important developments, starting with our CFM56 engine family. We sold nearly 600 engines during the first five months, which was already a record. Well, today, after a flurry of orders announced during the air show by Airbus and Boeing, we're now at a grand total of 1,002 engines sold! Booking some 400 engines during the week of the show is an all-time record!

The second major event is signing the contract with French transport minister Dominique Perben, for a repayable advance to support development of the SaM146 propulsion system for the Russian Regional Jet, along with Sukhoi and our Russian partner NPO Saturn. This agreement is a major milestone in the SaM146, and there is much at stake for Snecma in this new regional aircraft engine program.

What were the major trends reflected at this year's air show?

It showed that the air transport industry is in good health, with the civil aviation sector making a strong recovery. Airbus and Boeing announced a host of orders during the show, which will of course have a very positive impact on our engines and equipment. Another major trend is the emergence of drones, or UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles). They will take on an increasing role in the defense sector, as shown by the Dassault Aviation Neuron, for combat missions, or the Sagem Défense Sécurité Sperwer, for observation missions. I think we can expect a large-scale development of this type of application, and we are very well placed to take advantage of this growth. For example, the Sperwer is already deployed by seven armed forces, and many others have indicated their interest in it.