Beauvais Tillé sees itself as the "third Paris airport".This is despite the rather considerable distance - the airport is 77km from Paris itself. With no dedicated rail transport, the airport can be reached by a shuttle bus from Porte Maillot. The journey generally takes 1h15 or more.
So what advantages does Beauvais Tillé airport offer its passengers? The airport is in fact the Paris base for the ultra-low-cost airlines Wizzair and above all Ryanair, a heavyweight not to be missed. The company generates nearly 75% of Beauvais traffic, followed by Wizzair with 23% of market share. The rest is shared between half a dozen other carriers. Early November, Easyjet has joined the pool of companies in Beauvais with three weekly flights to Lisbon. A first for the airport.
A comprehensive network to Central and Balkan Europe
Very low fares on all airlines are, of course, the main reason why travellers use Beauvais airport. In fact, Beauvais is the only French airport handling more than one million passengers a year to have surpassed its 2019 traffic. According to DGAC figures, the hub handled 3.36 million passengers between January and September 2022.. It is 11.8% more than over the same period in 2019.
Another argument in favour of a departure from Beauvais is the large number of destinations in Central Europe and the Balkans that are exclusive to the platform. There are destinations as 'exotic' as Gdansk and Poznan in Poland, Chisinau in Moldova, Cluj-Napoca and Timisoara in Romania and Sarajevo in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Last but not least, the airport is a convenient gateway for Picardy residents. In particular, it is within easy reach of 45 minutes by car from Amiens.
Airport services too low-cost for business passengers
However, the hub remains totally unsuited to business traffic. Firstly, because of the distance from Paris and the long, random journey times. Then by a minimalist - ultra-low-cost - offer in the terminals. Both terminals offer a very spartan level of comfort. For example, you have to pay to recharge your phone, and the number of seats in the terminals is still very limited. You also have to queue outside to board a plane or to get to a car park or bus station. Whatever the weather...
However, the announced privatisation of the platform could mark a positive change. The airport concession expires in June 2023 and private investors are lining up. It is rumoured that VINCI Airportswhich already manages a number of platforms, would be among the favourites to take over the airport. Other companies interested in managing the airport include EGIS, Eiffage and Aéroports de la Côte d'Azur.
The future operator should then tackle the expansion and modernisation of the passenger terminals - perhaps by merging them? - and working to improve land access. The extension of the Paris-Creil TER line to the airport could offer a viable alternative.
The new concession holder will therefore have plenty of work to do to make Beauvais a real alternative airport to Orly or CDG for Greater Paris.
