Against the backdrop of a weakened regional aviation landscape, airport operator Sealar has backed the opening of three new routes in the region: Poitiers-Lyon, Deauville-Marrakech and Deauville-Djerba. SEALAR is the only private airport operator in France with its head office in the French regions. It operates seven hubs: Vannes, Poitiers, Le Havre, Morlaix and Rouen, Deauville and Caen.
An airport management model unprecedented in France
Since 1er From 1 January 2025, Sealar will manage Le Havre and Rouen airports under a public service delegation agreement, Deauville and Caen. This is an unprecedented configuration: four infrastructures in the same region entrusted to a single operator, with a rationale of cooperation rather than competition, in order to pool resources. In this way, the group is banking on local cooperation to maintain the links between the regions and demonstrate that it is possible to run the airline business in a different way.
The launch of three new routes therefore reflects the desire to maintain useful connections between regions, at a time when regional connections are becoming scarcer and regional airports are seeing their capacity reduced.
The line Poitiers-Lyoninaugurated on 17 October, meets a public service obligation supported by the Vienne département. The service will be discontinued in 2023 and taken over by Volotea. It will reconnect Poitiers and its economic area with Lyon. Poitiers-Biard airport, operated by Sealar, recorded almost 18,000 air movements between January and August 2025, i.e. 24 % more than in 2024, thanks to general aviation, training and medical flights.
The link Deauville-MarrakechThe new service, inaugurated on 23 October, enhances the international appeal of the airport, which has been managed by Sealar since 1 July 2025. Operated by Transavia, the route is offered as a dry flight every Saturday.
The line Deauville-Djerbawith the first flight scheduled for 15 December 2025, will be operated by Nouvelair. A weekly flight is scheduled every Monday until 30 March 2026, with the exception of 12, 19 and 26 January. The route is also offered as a flight + hotel package with Mondial Tourisme.
A battle against line cuts
In 2024, French airports welcomed around 205.7 million passengers, an increase of 3.6 % compared with 2023, but this figure is still 4 % lower than in 2019, before the health crisis. Domestic traffic is still 25 % below its 2019 level.
This situation can be explained by a restrictive tax environmentthe continuing increase in aviation taxation in France (solidarity tax, TSBA, TEITLD, etc.) which weighs heavily on French airports.
These fiscal pressures are particularly hard on regional airports, which are already facing a decline in capacity. For the 2025-2026 season, 24 routes have been cancelled and 25 others have seen their frequencies reduced.
" Each new line opening is an act of confidence in the region "Fanny Charles, managing director of Sealar and vice-president of the Union des Aéroports Français. " By pooling resources and working closely with airlines and local authorities, we are able to maintain routes that meet real mobility needs, whether economic, health or tourism-related. Our model adapts to local realities: it does not seek to increase the number of services, but to maintain those that make sense for the local area. "
Regional airports are not a luxury: they are a tool for territorial equity. Where the TGV has concentrated traffic flows around major cities, these hubs ensure continuity of mobility in less-served areas, and play a key role in health, civil security, the local economy and even defence.
