French air traffic up 2% in March compared with 2024. An appreciable increase, but one which, in practice, indicates a slowdown. According to statistics from the Direction Générale de l'Aviation Civile (DGAC), the increase in the month of February was still at 5,5% for all traffic.
In detail, we can see that domestic traffic falls again. These lines, which had grown by 0.9% in cumulative terms in January and February, recorded at the end of March a decrease of 0.6%. Admittedly, this figure can also be explained by the later Easter holidays this year. But it probably also reflects the strong increase in solidarity tax on airline tickets (TSBA) in force since 1 March 2025. This will penalise domestic transport even more, since it will affect both outward and return journeys.
Nevertheless, according to DGAC figures, all market segments - with the exception of Japan and Germany -. report a slowdown in passenger flows. The markets most affected by this slowdown are the United KingdomFrance, where cumulative traffic growth in the first quarter was 2%, compared with +5.9% in January/February. Growth also fell by 3.4 points between France and the United Kingdom. Brazil between February and March, by 3 points with the United States and 2.1 points with United Arab Emirates.
On the other hand, the total number of passengers in the first quarter to theGermany reached +0.81TP3Q, up 0.1 points on the January/February cumulative figure. Passenger traffic with the Japan was still down at the end of the first quarter, at -6.5%. This is nevertheless an increase on the January-February figure, which showed a decline of 8.9%.
Lyon and Toulouse go against the tide of airport traffic growth
French airports, growth rates for passenger traffic are on the decline in March compared with February. Orly for example, went from a rise of 4.9% in February to a fall of 2.3% in March. CDGwhich posted growth of 4.7% in February, fell to 2% in March.
A trend that is also being replicated at the airport of NiceFrom an increase of 5.2% in February to a decrease of 2.2% in March. This decline also affected the fastest-growing airports in France. From one month to the next, the increase in traffic at Beauvais fell from 14% to 3.9% and to Nantes from 16.8% to 4.9%. On the other hand, Lyon did better in March than in February, with growth in passenger numbers of 6.9% versus 1.2% respectively. While the Toulouse saw a timid increase in its traffic in March, up 0.7%. This compares with a fall of 1.4% in February...
However, we will have to wait for the figures for April and May to see any major trends in French air traffic. This will provide the aviation sector with strong economic arguments in the face of a government that is rather hostile to it.
