Owais Crawford
France is one of the most visited countries in the world, and its aviation sector is supported by a dense network of airports. The country has more than 30 international and domestic airports, including the Charles de Gaulle International Airport, which is the largest airport in France and the fifth-best airport in the world. Paris Orly Airport is the second-largest airport in the country, and others include Nice Côte d'Azur Airport, Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport, Marseille Airport, and Strasbourg Airport.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of International Airports | 19 |
| Busiest Airport | Paris Orly Airport |
| Largest Airport | Charles de Gaulle International Airport |
| Third-Largest Airport | Nice Côte d'Azur Airport |
| Fourth-Largest Airport | Lyon Saint Exupéry Airport |
| Main Airport in Ajaccio, Corsica | Ajaccio Napoleon Bonaparte Airport |
| Main Airport in Bastia, Corsica | Bastia Airport |
| Main Airport in Biarritz | Biarritz Airport |
| Main Airport in Bordeaux | Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport |
| Main Airport in Lille | Lille Airport |
| Main Airport in Strasbourg | Strasbourg Airport |
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What You'll Learn
Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris
Charles de Gaulle Airport, also known as Roissy Airport, is the primary international airport serving Paris, France. It is located in Roissy-en-France, about 23 kilometres (14 miles) northeast of Paris. The airport is named after World War II leader and former French President Charles de Gaulle (1890–1970), whose initials form its IATA airport code, CDG.
Charles de Gaulle Airport is the largest international airport in France and is also the busiest airport in the European Union. In 2024, the airport handled over 70 million passengers, 460,916 aircraft movements, and 1.81 million metric tons of cargo, making it the world's ninth busiest airport and Europe's third busiest airport in terms of passenger numbers. The airport covers 32.38 square kilometres (12.50 sq mi) of land and has three main terminals that were built between 1974 and 2007. Terminal 1, the oldest, features an avant-garde design with a ten-floor circular building surrounded by seven satellite buildings, each with six gates. Terminal 2, which opened in 1981, has seven sub-terminal buildings (2A to 2G), with 2A to 2F interconnected by elevated walkways. Terminal 3, formerly known as Terminal 9, hosts charter and low-cost airlines.
The airport serves as the principal hub for Air France, with over 105 airlines operating at the airport and flights to 237 destinations. It is also a destination for legacy carriers from Star Alliance, Oneworld, and SkyTeam, as well as an operating base for easyJet and Norse Atlantic Airways. The CDGVAL light-rail shuttle connects Terminal 2 to Terminals 1 and 3 and their parking lots. The airport can be accessed from Paris by train, bus, taxi, or car, and there are hotels located nearby for layovers.
Charles de Gaulle Airport offers a range of services and facilities, including free wireless internet access in all terminals. Smoking is only permitted in dedicated smoking booths located airside. The airport provides information on live flight arrivals and departures, terminal facilities, transportation options, and maps. It also features a dedicated page for lost and found items and details on prohibited items and security procedures.
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Orly Airport, Paris
Orly Airport, also known as Paris Orly Airport, is located 13 km south of central Paris. It covers 15.3 km2 (5.9 sq mi) of land and is the second-largest airport serving France and the Paris Metropolitan region. The airport was opened in the southern suburbs of Paris in 1932 as a secondary airport to Le Bourget. It was originally known as Villeneuve-Orly Airport. During World War II, Orly Airport was used by the German Luftwaffe as a combat airfield. After the Battle of Normandy and the retreat of German forces from Paris in 1944, the airport was partially repaired and used by the Ninth Air Force as a tactical airfield.
Orly Airport has four connected passenger terminals: Orly 1, 2, 3, and 4. To transfer between terminals, passengers can take the shuttle or the Orlyval, an automated metro. The airport is managed by Aéroports de Paris, which also manages Charles de Gaulle Airport, Le Bourget Airport, and several smaller airports in the Paris suburbs.
To get to the city centre of Paris from Orly, travellers can take the bus, taxi, train, or metro. The airport has a variety of shops, restaurants, and other amenities to serve passengers. Paris Orly Airport is a popular airport, with a reported 34,114,970 passengers in 2019. However, like many airports, it was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and was closed to all commercial traffic from April 1, 2020, to June 25, 2020. During this period, commercial flights were relocated to Charles de Gaulle Airport, while Orly remained open for State flights, emergency diversions, and medical evacuations.
In recent years, there have been development projects to enhance Orly Airport. In 2012, a project was proposed to merge the airport's south and west terminals into one large terminal. Additionally, in 2023, Paris Aéroport announced a tree-planting project near the airport, aiming to capture 329 tonnes of carbon annually.
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Beauvais–Tillé Airport, Paris
Beauvais–Tillé Airport, also known as Paris-Beauvais Airport, is located about 80 km north of Paris, near the city of Beauvais. The airport was built in the 1930s and has two terminals.
There are several ways to get to and from the airport and Paris. One option is to take the bus, which costs around €16-€18 for a one-way ticket and €29-€35 for a return ticket. The journey takes approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes to 4 hours, depending on traffic and departure location. The bus ride is comfortable and well-managed, with new and comfortable buses. However, some reviews mention that the bus can be unreliable and overpriced, with long travel times due to the route between various suburbs and speed limits.
Another option is to take a train to and from the airport and Paris. The train journey offers a beautiful view of the town of Beauvais, which has a Gothic cathedral with a 42-meter dome, a wonderful museum, and a huge square with ice cream parlours and restaurants. The train journey costs €16, and for an additional €1, you can take bus number 6 to get to the airport gate.
The airport has several bars and restaurants, and the bathrooms are clean and equipped with nurseries for changing newborns. The staff are friendly and numerous, and the security checks are thorough.
The airport is also committed to sustainability and environmental initiatives, aiming to reduce its ecological footprint.
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Nice Côte d'Azur Airport, Nice
Nice Côte d'Azur Airport is located 6 km southwest of downtown Nice, in the Alpes-Maritimes department of France. It is the third-largest airport in France and the third busiest, handling 14,770,626 passengers in 2024. The airport is positioned 7 km west of the city centre and is the main gateway to the city of Nice, the French Riviera, and the Principality of Monaco. It offers easy access to Monaco, St. Tropez, Antibes, and the attractions of the Provence region. The airport covers an area of over 3.70 km2, with 2.70 km2 used by its two parallel runways and three passenger terminals (Terminal 1, Terminal 2, and a freight terminal). Terminals 1 and 2 are linked by a tram service, with trams running every 8 minutes during the day, and shuttle buses. The airport is located on the western end of the Promenade des Anglais, a famous boardwalk, and Nice tramway line 2 connects the airport to the Port of Nice (Lympia Port) via the Grand Arénas interchange. The train station Nice Saint Augustin is located 400 meters from the airport. Bus route 12 connects the airport with Promenade des Artes via the old town, and buses also cover a large number of stops in the region, including Genoa and Marseille. Taxis and some hotel shuttles are also available for passengers.
The airport's theoretical capacity is 14 million annual passengers and 52 movements (26 landings) per hour. Terminal 1 features 25 gates in a space of 52,000 m2 and has a capacity of 4.5 million passengers per year. It serves domestic, Schengen, and non-Schengen destinations. Terminal 1 also features a business centre with eight rooms and a conference room with a capacity of 250 people. Terminal 2 is newer, larger, and equipped to handle all destinations, with 29 gates in a space of 57,800 m2 and a capacity of 8.5 million passengers per year.
The Nice area is a popular holiday destination, especially during the summer months, so the Côte d'Azur Airport sees its highest concentration of passengers between April and October. The airport is a focus city for Air France and an operating base for easyJet, with almost 100 international destinations served by a variety of airlines.
Nice Côte d'Azur Airport has a rich history, with several notable incidents occurring over the years. In 1949, an Air France plane overran the runway and was damaged beyond repair. In 1952, an Air France flight crashed shortly after takeoff, resulting in the deaths of all 38 people on board. In 1968, an Air France flight from Corsica to Nice crashed into the Mediterranean Sea, claiming the lives of all 95 passengers and crew. A memorial for this incident is located near the airport. In 1969, an experimental ferry service utilizing hovercraft was briefly operated, connecting the airport to Cannes, Saint-Tropez, Monaco, and San-Remo. In 1979, a Sterling Airways flight crashed into the sea near the airport.
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Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport, Lyon
Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport (IATA: LYS, ICAO: LFLL) is an international airport serving Lyon, France's third-largest city. It is located in Colombier-Saugnieu, 11 nautical miles (20 km; 13 mi) southeast of Lyon's city centre, and is the main airport serving the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. The airport is 30 minutes from the Lyon-Part-Dieu business district by the Rhônexpress tram, which replaced the former coach shuttle services (Satobus) that operated beforehand. The airport was inaugurated by President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing on 12 April 1975 and opened to passengers a week later. It was designed to replace the old Lyon–Bron Airport, which is now only used for general aviation.
The airport has two runways and cargo facilities, as well as two passenger terminals that are interconnected on the landside by a central building. This central building has a footbridge to the nearby Gare de Lyon Saint-Exupéry high-speed railway station and the Rhônexpress terminus. The fan-shaped canopy of the Gare de Lyon Saint-Exupéry, designed by architect Santiago Calatrava, is the airport's most notable architectural feature. The airport also has its own car parks, with "e-Park" being the cheapest option for long-term parking.
Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport offers direct trains to Paris and Marseille, as well as other parts of southern France and even Turin, Italy. Coach links also connect the airport with the centre of other towns in the area, including Grenoble, Saint-Étienne, and Chambéry. Bus operators also offer shuttle services to the surrounding French ski resorts, including Tignes, Val d'Isere, and Val Thorens.
The airport was originally named Lyon Satolas Airport, after the nearby eponymous village. However, in 2000, the airport and train station were renamed in honour of Lyonnais aviation pioneer and writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, on the centenary of his birth.
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Frequently asked questions
The largest airport in France is Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. It is located around 23 kilometres north-east of Paris and has three main terminals.
The busiest airports in France include Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris Orly Airport, Lyon Saint Exupery Airport, and Nice Cote d'Azur Airport.
Some international airports in France include Strasbourg Airport, Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport, Nice Côte d'Azur Airport, Ajaccio Napoleon Bonaparte Airport, and Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport.
Smaller airports in France include Lille Airport, also known as Lille-Lesquin Airport, Beauvais–Tillé Airport, and Biarritz Airport, also known as Biarritz-Parme Airport.
