Ruth Haines
Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) is one of the busiest airports in the world. It opened in 1974 and is located in Roissy-en-France, 23 km (14 mi) northeast of Paris. The airport is named after World War II leader and former French President Charles de Gaulle (1890–1970). Paris' first airport was Le Bourget, which opened in 1919, followed by Orly in 1932. Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport covers 32.38 square kilometres (12.50 sq mi) of land and is served by more than 105 airlines. On the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities in 2022, the airport was temporarily renamed Anne de Gaulle after the late French president's daughter, who had Down syndrome.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) |
| Named After | Charles de Gaulle, former French President (1890-1970) |
| Year of Opening | 1974 |
| Area Covered | 32.38 square kilometres (12.50 sq mi) |
| Number of Terminals | 3+ |
| Number of Runways | 2+ |
| Passenger Traffic | 70,290,260 (2024) |
| Aircraft Movements | 460,916 (2024) |
| Temporary Name | Anne de Gaulle (after the late French president's daughter) |
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What You'll Learn
Charles de Gaulle Airport
Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) is one of the busiest airports in the world. It is named after Charles de Gaulle, the former French president who died in 1970. The airport, which opened in 1974, is located in Roissy-en-France, 23 km (14 mi) northeast of Paris.
The airport was originally known as Paris-Nord Airport, and its construction began in 1964. The name was soon changed to match the nearby town of Roissy, and after its opening, it was renamed after the former president. Paris needed a new airport due to the limitations of its previous airports, Le Bourget and Orly, in handling the increased air traffic. The site at Roissy was chosen as it was mostly agricultural land, and very few buildings needed to be removed. The airport covers 32.38 square kilometres (12.50 sq mi) of land and spans over three départements and six communes.
Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport is the principal hub for Air France and a destination for other legacy carriers, as well as an operating base for easyJet and Norse Atlantic Airways. It is served by the greatest number of airlines, with more than 105 airlines operating at the airport as of 2017. In 2024, the airport handled 70,290,260 passengers and 460,916 aircraft movements, making it the world's ninth busiest airport and Europe's third busiest.
The airport has undergone several changes and expansions over the years. Terminal 2, which opened in 1981, has expanded to include separate terminals 2A through to 2G. In 2004, a partial collapse of Terminal 2E killed four people and rendered the terminal unusable for several years until it reopened in 2008. The CDG Express, a direct express rail link from Paris to the airport, is scheduled to open in early 2027.
On the International Day of Persons with Disabilities in 2022, Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport was temporarily renamed "Anne de Gaulle" after the late French president's daughter, who had Down syndrome.
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Orly Airport
Paris has multiple airports, including Charles de Gaulle Airport, Orly Airport, Le Bourget Airport, and Châlons Vatry Airport. Orly Airport, originally called Orly-Villeneuve Airport, was opened in 1932. It became the city's main airport after World War II, when it was used by the German Army. During the 1950s and 1960s, traffic at Orly and Le Bourget airports rose significantly. In 1952, Air France moved all its operations to Orly, but it was clear that a new airport would be needed.
Charles de Gaulle Airport, also known as Roissy Airport, is named after World War II leader and former French President Charles de Gaulle (1890–1970). On the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities in 2022, Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport was temporarily renamed "Anne de Gaulle" after the late French president's daughter, who had Down syndrome.
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Le Bourget Airport
Paris's first main airport was Le Bourget, which opened in 1919. It is now used for general aviation and the Air Show, and handles significant business traffic.
The search for a new airport location began in 1957. An area near the town of Roissy was selected, to the less developed northeast of the city. This site was advantageous due to its sparse population, meaning there would be little issue with noise pollution from aircraft. Additionally, accessibility was improved by the construction of a new multi-lane highway from Paris to Brussels that traversed the area.
The designers of the new airport knew that it had to be huge and scalable, not only to accommodate the rapid rise in air travel but also to future-proof it for generations to come. Paris saw its population grow exponentially, increasing by 25% to around eight million between 1954 and 1968. As a result, the airport was planned on a large scale, with the knowledge that it would need to compete with other major European airports such as London Heathrow, Amsterdam, and Frankfurt.
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Charles de Gaulle's legacy
Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) is named after Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle, a French general, writer, statesman, and architect of France’s Fifth Republic. De Gaulle was born in 1890 in Lille, France, into an upper-middle-class family of Parisian lawyers. He was a decorated officer in World War I, during which he was wounded several times and taken prisoner by the Germans.
Between the two world wars, De Gaulle developed his military theory, publishing several books on the topic, including "La Discorde chez l'ennemi" ("The Enemy’s House Divided") in 1924, "Le Fil de l'épée" ("The Edge of the Sword") in 1932, "Vers l'armée de métier" ("Towards a Professional Army") in 1934, and "La France et son armée" in 1938. He advocated for the use of tanks and mobile armoured divisions, which ironically would be used by the German panzer units during their invasion of France in 1940.
During World War II, De Gaulle led the Free French Forces in resisting capitulation to Nazi Germany and chaired the Provisional Government of the French Republic from 1944 to 1946. He was determined that France should be treated as one of the great powers and not fall under the sway of any other country, particularly the United States. In 1940, he broadcast an appeal from London for his countrymen to continue to fight under his leadership.
After the war, De Gaulle was instrumental in rewriting the Constitution of France and founding the Fifth Republic. He was elected President of France in 1958, a position he held until his resignation in 1969. De Gaulle's legacy is that of a leader who played a crucial role in shaping post-war France and its constitution, as well as resisting Nazi occupation during World War II.
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Temporary renaming to Anne de Gaulle
Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) is named after World War II leader and former French President Charles de Gaulle. The airport, which is one of the busiest in the world, opened in 1974 and is located in Roissy-en-France, 23 km (14 mi) northeast of Paris.
On the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December 2022, Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport was temporarily renamed "Anne de Gaulle". This was done to raise awareness of the integration of disabled people and to honour the late French president's daughter, who had Down syndrome. Anne de Gaulle (1928-1948) was kept in the family her whole life, despite common practice at the time, and her family founded The Anne de-Gaulle Foundation in her memory. The foundation was defined to arrange for a home for young females with mental disabilities.
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Frequently asked questions
Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) is named after the former French President Charles de Gaulle (1890–1970), a World War II leader.
The airport, which opened in 1974, is located in Roissy-en-France, 23 km (14 mi) northeast of Paris. It was originally known as Paris-Nord Airport and then renamed to match the nearby town of Roissy. However, it was renamed after Charles de Gaulle following his death in 1970.
On 3 December 2022, Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport was temporarily renamed "Anne de Gaulle" after the late French president's daughter, who had Down syndrome. This was to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
