The Académie de l’air et de l’espace is deeply saddened to announce the death of Mr. Jacques Bouttes, on December 12, 2025, at the age of 93. Ingénieur général de l’armement, eminent scientist, passionate teacher and major player in the world of aeronautics and space, he was a committed and respected member of our Academy for over four decades.
Born on May 28, 1932 in Hénin-Beaumont, Jacques Bouttes followed a path of excellence, from the Lycée de Douai to the Lycée Saint-Louis in Paris, before entering the École Polytechnique and then the École Nationale Supérieure de l’Aéronautique. An air force engineer from 1954-1957, he devoted a large part of his career to ONERA, where he successively held the positions of research engineer, director of synthesis studies, then director of aeronautical and space applications. His work has made a decisive contribution to the advancement of knowledge and applications in key areas of the French aerospace industry.
From 1983 onwards, he also put his expertise at the service of industry, becoming Deputy Managing Director, then Managing Director, of ABG SEMCA (Intertechnique), illustrating his rare ability to bridge the gap between research, innovation and industrial application.
At the same time, Jacques Bouttes led a remarkable academic career. As a lecturer and then professor at the École polytechnique, he left a deep impression on generations of students through his rigorous teaching, intellectual clarity and unwavering commitment to the transmission of knowledge. He was also Director of ESTACA, where he worked with determination to develop engineering training in the aeronautics and transport fields, as well as Chairman of the Scientific Committee of the Transport Research Institute, testifying to the breadth and coherence of his scientific and educational commitments.
Elected Correspondent of the Académie de l’air et de l’espace on September 21, 1984, then Titular on June 25, 2001, he became an Honorary Member on December 31, 2007. An active member of Section 2, he is particularly involved in the Education-Training Commission and the Entretiens de Toulouse, which he founded and headed from 2008 to 2010. Through this initiative, he has helped to create a lasting forum for reflection, exchange and foresight for the aerospace community.
Author of numerous scientific and technical publications and holder of three patents, Jacques Bouttes has left behind a solid and recognized intellectual body of work. His merits have been recognized by high distinctions: Officer of the National Order of Merit, Knight of the Legion of Honor and Knight of the Academic Palms.
Beyond the breadth of his career, the Académie will remember him as a man of great integrity, with a demanding and benevolent intelligence, deeply committed to scientific progress, the training of young people and the service of the general interest.
The Académie de l’air et de l’espace extends its sincere sympathy and deepest gratitude to his family, friends and all those who worked alongside him.
The memory of Jacques Bouttes will continue to inspire our community.
