L'airport Paris-Orlymore attractive than ever for low-cost airlines? Last year, the southern Paris hub welcomed 19.81 million passengers on low-cost routes. This represents an increase of more than 18% compared with 2022. Compared with 2019, 7 million extra passengers used the services of low-cost airlines in 2023. According to the Union des Aéroports Français, thelow-cost transport accounts for more than 60% of Orly's passenger traffic.
And a reversal of this trend is unlikely. In fact, the low-cost push is set to accelerate with the arrival of Ryanair and the strengthening of other low-cost carriers. The former is creating a veritable strategic revolution. The ultra-low-cost carrier, which has been present in Beauvais since 1997, has announced offer two return flights to Bergamo and Bratislava. Both destinations will be served from 1st April 2025.
For its part, the regional low-cost airline Volotea has won 13 new slots at Orly. The carrier already serves around ten destinations, including Ancona, Genoa, Turin, Verona and Bilbao, as well as Rodez and Tarbes/Lourdes. Volotea should above all strengthen its existing routes.
Cohor generous with low-cost carriers at Orly
The arrival of Ryanair and the strengthening of Volotea follow the allocation of slots redistributed by the Cohor, the body responsible for allocating slots at France's major airports.
In addition to Ryanair and Volotea, Easyjet was the best endowed in the Cohor's allocations, with new lines to Skopje, Sofia and Southampton. Transavia France will be flying again on Amsterdam and Vueling will land at Salerno (Italy). Finally Wizz Air will inaugurate four flights a week to London-Gatwick. For the Hungarian ultra-low-cost carrier, this will be the fourth destination to be served from Orly after Budapest, Rome-Fiumicino and Warsaw.
