Since the beginning of 2023, the Paris airports (ADP Group) and the Border Police (PAF) have together entered a new era: one of cooperation that is both qualitative and quantitative. On this latter point, a new tool has been put in place, with a brand new barometer. From now on, figures will be published every month to provide an update on the progress of the waiting time encountered by passengers at the various border control points in Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Paris-Orly airports.
For ADP as for the PAFThe aim is therefore to identify the points of friction encountered during the various 'events' - i.e. to understand the occurrences that provoke a conflict of interest. waiting times in excess of 30 minutes - to gradually reduce their number and impact on passenger flows. But also to provide a quantified and therefore objective response to the reviews which regularly mar the reputation of the region's main gateway. " This real-time measurement tool will help to deflate the myth that Paris airports are the worst in the world: they are not. "summed up Augustin de Romanet. On the strength of good results in recent rankings Skytraxthe CEO of the ADP group deplores the gap between the performance of the Paris hubs and their reputation: " we've had some quite remarkable results and yet the buzz remains, handicapped [as we are] by the idea that waiting times are excessive ". For example, in February, out of almost 2.5 million passengers international flights at Paris-Charles de Gaulle, 83% waited less than 10 minutes97% waited less than 30 minutes and 99% less than 45 minutes. As for Orly, out of nearly 754,800 passengers on international flights, 85% waited less than 10 minutes, 99% less than 30 minutes and 99% less than 45 minutes.
A hotel approach to queuing
However, with important sporting events approaching, the management of the ADP group has no intention of ignoring the need for self-criticism. But this is less about the score than the manner. In other words, an art of entertaining that, in the queues at Paris airports, sometimes lacks... subtlety. Augustin de Romanet deplores " frontal impact for a passenger returning from an accident. conference where he's been treated with the utmost respect, and arrives at an airport where he feels he's not being treated like a human being ". For the ADP Group CEO, the new barometer should enable ADP to " realise that we have a queue management work - when they do unfortunately occur - which needs to be much improved. And it doesn't necessarily require exceptional financial resources, because we've established that, fortunately, this only affects less than 10% of people in the worst case scenario. ". For the head of the ADP group, it is a question of " put all the weight of the body on this dimension of human queue managementwhich is not the case today: I beg to differ. ". Augustin de Romanet added: " we are going to adopt a radically different approach to accompanying passengers in queues. I have asked my teams to have a hotel approach ".
Of course, the forthcoming deadlines in France are no stranger to awareness and action. With the inevitable Paris 2024 Olympic Games but also the Rugby World Cupstarting this year. " We see [the World Cup] as a rehearsal for the Olympics, so it has to be exemplary. "warns Fabrice Gardon. The central director of the border police is well aware of what is at stake: " When you arrive [at the airport] and you're a foreign tourist, the screening checkpoints or the police officer is the first contact. It's the whole image of the country that's at stake, and even more so in the run-up to the World Cup and the Olympic Games. ". To meet these challenges, a review of staffing levels has been launched, which the new barometer will help to refine. The balance between human resources and technology will gradually evolve to increase the number of PARAFEs supervised by an agent from five to six, or even seven, which is the ceiling set by European regulations. The number of PAF staff will also be increased. While the initial aim was to fill the gaps left by the return of travellers to a post-Covid world, the time has now come to really step up the pace. Relying on " a large-scale recruitment plan "The Central Director of the Border Police explained: " We plan to recruit at least 255 border control officers for Roissy and Orly airports alone by June, and at least 500 by the end of 2024. This will increase the number of border police at Roissy and Orly by more than 20%. ". Mr Gardon is confident of achieving these objectives: " today, we have enough candidates to reach our target "he assures us.
The authorities are not promising passengers the moon: the peaks in passenger numbers associated with a global event such as the Olympic Games are bound to have an impact on queues. But ADP and the PAF seem determined to work together to provide passengers with a high-quality welcome. " We are going to massify and ensure that we can open all our border lines. In other words, if there are delays, we won't be able to blame the PAF staff for not being there. We will do everything possible "says the Central Director of the Border Police.
