How would you assess the traffic situation this year?
Thomas Dubus - We have achieved growth of 5 % this year, a satisfactory figure at a time when the Air France group is continuing to reduce its capacity, refocusing its activity on Roissy. We are therefore experiencing a decline on domestic routes. On the other hand, traffic to Europe is up by 27 % and this increase is even 40 % for the entire international network.
How can the reduction in Air France traffic be rebalanced?
T. D. - First of all, I would like to emphasise that Air France remains an essential partner for our airport, with a 50 % market share of passenger traffic. Our development has benefited from the reduction in our air fares, making it easier for other airlines to create new routes. For example, London Heathrow has become our leading route in terms of passenger numbers, ahead of Strasbourg-Toulouse and Strasbourg-Paris Orly. Lower taxes also certainly influenced Volotea's decision to set up a base in Strasbourg. We now want to strengthen our offer to Spain, Italy and Turkey, where we see real growth potential. There are also opportunities to other cities in the UK, to Greece as well as to Budapest and Moscow.
Despite its proximity to Germany, Strasbourg has no flights to that country. Why is this?
T. D. - It may seem obvious, but the German domestic routes offered in the region are from German soil. In fact, we have found that cross-border passengers from across the Rhine want domestic routes, but... from Germany. This explains Ryanair's success at Baden-Baden airport, just 45km from Strasbourg. Attracting German airlines to Strasbourg airport is not as easy as you might think...
