{"id":2641,"date":"2025-10-06T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-06T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/app.gate-31.com\/?p=2641"},"modified":"2025-10-06T08:13:31","modified_gmt":"2025-10-06T06:13:31","slug":"at-liege-airport-aerospace-inspires-the-talents-of-tomorrow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/app.gate-31.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/06\/at-liege-airport-aerospace-inspires-the-talents-of-tomorrow\/","title":{"rendered":"At Liege Airport, aerospace inspires the talents of tomorrow."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On 24 September, Liege Airport hosted the GIWAS conference, organised by the Groupement des Industries Wallonnes A\u00e9ronautiques et Spatiales.\u00a0\u00a0The event was marked by the presence of French astronaut Thomas Pesquet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nearly 1,000 people \u2013 mostly children and students \u2013 attended an afternoon of talks aimed at inspiring future careers in aeronautics and space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On this occasion, Gate.31 spoke with <strong>Laurent Jossart<\/strong>, CEO of Liege Airport.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"http:\/\/app.gate-31.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/giwas_017-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2635\" style=\"width:641px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/app.gate-31.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/giwas_017-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/app.gate-31.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/giwas_017-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/app.gate-31.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/giwas_017-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/app.gate-31.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/giwas_017-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/app.gate-31.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/giwas_017-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Image \u00a9\ufe0fCible<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why did you choose to host the GIWAS conference at Liege Airport?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because GIWAS kindly asked me to (he smiles). More seriously, Liege Airport will be a member of GIWAS every other year, alternating with Charleroi Airport. Holding an aerospace conference right in the heart of an airport carried strong symbolic meaning. It was also our way of supporting this great initiative.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"http:\/\/app.gate-31.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/giwas_164-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2636\" style=\"width:641px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/app.gate-31.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/giwas_164-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/app.gate-31.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/giwas_164-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/app.gate-31.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/giwas_164-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/app.gate-31.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/giwas_164-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/app.gate-31.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/giwas_164-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">French astronaut Thomas Pesquet concludes the afternoon of conferences. <br>Image \u00a9\ufe0fCible<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What role does Liege Airport wish to play in the Walloon aerospace ecosystem?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">GIWAS primarily brings together stakeholders from the aeronautics and space sectors, along with manufacturers directly involved in these industries. As an airport, Liege Airport is somewhat at the edge of this ecosystem, but it is essential for us to send a clear message to the entire community. We want to be part of the conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When the airport submits permit applications, it often faces resistance or restrictions, whereas manufacturers tend to receive much broader support. We wholeheartedly applaud the ongoing reindustrialisation efforts, but we would like stakeholders to also be aware that aircraft designed, manufactured, or equipped by Belgian manufacturers need to take off and land somewhere&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We therefore call on political and institutional decision-makers for greater consistency: airports are not secondary players, but an essential part of the chain &#8211; we are all part of the same ecosystem.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBy hosting the GIWAS event at our site, we wanted to show our solidarity with this initiative and remind everyone that, although Liege Airport&rsquo;s core business is somewhat different, we are part of the same ecosystem\u201d &#8211; Laurent Jossart.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"575\" src=\"http:\/\/app.gate-31.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Liege_airport_19102021_0004-1024x575.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2637\" style=\"width:636px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/app.gate-31.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Liege_airport_19102021_0004-1024x575.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/app.gate-31.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Liege_airport_19102021_0004-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/app.gate-31.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Liege_airport_19102021_0004-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/app.gate-31.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Liege_airport_19102021_0004-1536x863.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/app.gate-31.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Liege_airport_19102021_0004-2048x1151.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Liege Airport. Image\u00a9\ufe0fpixel prod<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The aerospace sector appears to need new talent to remain a key economic and technological driver in Wallonia. Is this also true for Liege Airport?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Personally, I am convinced that aeronautics and space continue to captivate young people just as much as ever. At Liege Airport, whenever a position opens up, we often receive several hundred applications-clear evidence of the strong interest in the sector. I imagine this dynamic is shared by the other members of GIWAS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That said, I believe the real challenge lies elsewhere: guiding young people toward STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Despite the efforts made, it remains difficult to encourage students to pursue these fields, even though they are crucial to meeting the technical and technological demands of our industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Li\u00e8ge, for example, the arrival of the TUMO training centre-announced in September-perfectly illustrates the ambition to make technology-related courses more appealing. Targeting young people aged 12 to 18, TUMO\u2019s mission is to introduce them to emerging technologies and help them develop strong digital skills. The goal is clear: to train today\u2019s talent in tomorrow\u2019s technologies, to meet the growing demand from companies for technical profiles. Here too, the aim is to inspire vocations for more technical professions, and Liege Airport is proud to be one of the financial sponsors of the project!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt&rsquo;s not that there&rsquo;s a lack of interest in aeronautics or space, but rather a lack of appeal for STEM fields\u201d &#8211; Laurent Jossart.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"http:\/\/app.gate-31.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/JMI0887-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2638\" style=\"width:636px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/app.gate-31.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/JMI0887-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/app.gate-31.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/JMI0887-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/app.gate-31.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/JMI0887-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/app.gate-31.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/JMI0887-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/app.gate-31.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/JMI0887-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Laurent Jossart, CEO Liege Airport, answered questions from Gate.31. <br>Image \u00a9\ufe0fpixelprod<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Decarbonising aviation<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Airports are making continuous efforts in the field of decarbonisation, even though it is well understood that aircraft manufacturers, equipment suppliers, alternative fuel producers, air traffic managers, and airlines all play a major role. Still, every stakeholder must contribute.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Liege Airport has reached Level 4 out of 5 in ACI Europe\u2019s Airport Carbon Accreditation programme &#8211; an achievement that places it among the top 20% of airports worldwide in terms of environmental commitment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis level implies an explicit alignment of carbon emission reduction targets with global climate ambitions, particularly those defined in the Paris Agreement\u201d &#8211; Laurent Jossart.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To achieve this, Liege Airport has expanded the scope of its carbon inventory to include more indirect emissions (scope 3), such as those linked to ground operations, on-site mobility, and third-party energy consumption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A Carbon Management Plan has been implemented, targeting the reduction of both direct and indirect emissions (Scopes 1 and 2).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In parallel, a Stakeholder Engagement Plan has been developed in collaboration with the site\u2019s main partners. This plan includes initiatives such as vehicle electrification, improvements in building energy efficiency, and the promotion of more sustainable modes of transport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Decarbonisation is a relatively long-term process, and we are moving forward at a measured pace, largely due to the high cost of replacing existing equipment. For example, we recently invested in a fuel dispenser that transfers fuel from underground pipelines to the aircraft wing\u2014and chose to purchase an electric model, despite its cost being twice that of a conventional one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So yes, we must lead by example &#8211; but we must also do so at a reasonable and financially sustainable pace.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cDecarbonisation is a relatively long process that we are undertaking at a measured pace due to the high cost of replacing equipment\u201d&nbsp;&nbsp;&#8211; Laurent Jossart.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To conclude, I\u2019d like to highlight a new initiative at Liege Airport in our decarbonisation journey: we have recently recruited a full-time Energy Manager. This engineer is responsible for guiding our decarbonisation strategy and implementing concrete, impactful solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As you can see, our airport is evolving and bringing in new talent to meet the environmental challenges of tomorrow!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>A big thank you to Liege Airport for inviting Gate.31 to take part in the GIWAS afternoon conferences.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On 24 September, Liege Airport hosted the GIWAS conference, organised by the Groupement des Industries Wallonnes A\u00e9ronautiques et Spatiales.\u00a0\u00a0The event was marked by the &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2634,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[14],"class_list":["post-2641","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-airports","tag-anglais"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/app.gate-31.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2641","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/app.gate-31.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/app.gate-31.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/app.gate-31.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/app.gate-31.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2641"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/app.gate-31.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2641\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2669,"href":"https:\/\/app.gate-31.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2641\/revisions\/2669"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/app.gate-31.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2634"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/app.gate-31.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2641"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/app.gate-31.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2641"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/app.gate-31.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2641"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}